Zelensky confirms Ukraine targeted Russian emergency alert systems in retaliatory hack
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One day after Ukraine's emergency alert system was hacked, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine hacked Russian systems in retaliation on Nov. 2.
"I underlined it several times that we only respond to their attacks," Zelensky told PBS NewsHour. "So, of course, after the attack, when it was very clear to all our people and for all our personnel, and the intelligence, that it's [Russia's] personal attack against our people, civilians, of course, we responded."
Late on Nov. 1, Ukraine's Air Alert app, which provides vital updates to citizens about incoming Russian strikes, was hacked. False warnings of nuclear, chemical, and street-fighting threats were sent out to the app's users across the nation.
"Hi! A nuclear alert is about to go off all across Ukraine! Don't worry, the Oreshnik is on its way," one of the false warnings read in Russian on the Air Alert app.
In the early hours of Nov. 2, Ukraine's Air Alert app said that operations were gradually being restored while the display of targets was temporarily suspended.
Hours after the false warnings were sent to Ukrainian citizens' phones, Russia's own air raid alert system began to show signs of being compromised.
Messages were sent to users claiming "nuclear warheads" had been "launched across all regions of Russia," and that users should "stock up with food for three weeks" and hide in their basements.
"Attention! The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations' mobile app has been subjected to a massive cyberattack, allowing attackers to send fake information to the public," the Russian Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief said in a statement.
The emergency alert hacks mark the latest cyberattacks between Ukraine and Russia.
In September, AI company Anthropic said that Russia has been using Claude AI in cyberattacks against Ukraine and Europe, targeting various government ministries and the WhatsApp accounts of high-level officials.
In April, it was revealed that a Russian-linked group hacked more than 170 email accounts belonging to prosecutors and investigators across Ukraine over several months.
"It was a cyber attack," said Zelensky about the air alert system hack. "One of the hundreds and thousands of those made by Russians before on banking systems, on pensions, social support, a lot of different support for civilians. Of course, they want each day to make chaos in Ukraine, in all our cities. It's one of such steps by Russia."
