Hitcore Claims Spoofed Alert Breach

Ukrainian and Russian citizens received false emergency notifications on their phones late Sunday after cyberattackers targeted the mobile applications used for public safety alerts. The intrusion sent conflicting warnings to users in both nations, creating confusion during a period of active conflict.

Ukraine’s air raid alert channel reported that unauthorized parties interfered with the app’s operation. The service was temporarily suspended to stop the flow of incorrect data. Users were instructed to ignore links found in suspicious notifications while the system was restored.

The false alerts contained errors in spelling and grammar. They appeared in English as well as in mixed Russian and Ukrainian text. The messages claimed that Kyiv was facing dangerously high radiation levels, a chemical threat, and public disturbances. One of the posts referenced the hacking group Hitcore.

Mash, a Russian Telegram channel linked to security services, stated that Hitcore representatives claimed responsibility for the attack. That claim has not been independently verified. Ukraine’s state-run Center for Countering Disinformation urged the public to monitor social media channels and rely on physical sirens while the digital breach was addressed.

Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for Ukraine’s air force command, said the cyberattack did not affect security or defense operations. He explained that the mobile app operates separately from military command systems. The air force continues to report real-time threats through independent channels, including popular social media platforms.

In Russia, officials confirmed Monday that hackers accessed the Emergency Ministry’s mobile app. The ministry did not name the group behind the intrusion. A statement from the ministry reassured the public that the wider alert system remained functional. The mobile app serves as a supplement to SMS messages, media broadcasts, and municipal sirens.

Separately, a limited humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region ended at midnight on Monday. The truce began on October 27 and was tied to an aid mission in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. Ukrainian authorities reported multiple Russian drone attacks in the city of Kherson shortly after the pause in fighting expired.

A 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man were hospitalized with blast injuries in Kherson. The city lies across the Dnipro River from Russian-occupied territory. The White House stated that U.S. First Lady Melania Trump helped broker the temporary truce. Civilian negotiators from both sides also assisted in securing the pause.

Approximately 2,000 civilians were in Oleshky when the truce took effect. Residents could evacuate to Ukrainian or Russian controlled territory or stay in the city with replenished supplies. Exact evacuation numbers were withheld to protect those who remained. Ukraine’s general staff said Russian forces used the ceasefire window to bolster drone defenses and replenish ammunition.

Drone strikes in the eastern Kharkiv region injured 12 people on Monday. The attacks damaged a refrigeration facility, greenhouses, and residential buildings. In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, five people were injured when a warehouse was targeted. Homes in the area also sustained damage from the strikes.