Ukraine and Russia's emergency apps 'are hacked in cyber attacks' moments after localised ceasefire ends

Ukraine's public air raid alert app has been hacked and was sending fake radiation alerts, the country's Air Force says. 

The app for a short time showed Kyiv and other areas subject to a nuclear warning. 

But the abnormality later disappeared, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday night. 

The air force said on Telegram: 'The air alert app appears to have been subjected to enemy influence.

'There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel!'

When asked whether the app had been hacked, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said: 'Yes, it has been.'

The alleged hack came minutes after the end of the truce between Moscow and Kyiv in the eastern region of Kherson.

The localised ceasefire, which started on Tuesday, was the longest of the war.

The fake alerts began on Sunday night, warning Ukrainians abour radiation and chemical threats. Pictured: A screenshot of the notifications sent out in Ukrainian 

The alleged hack came minutes after the end of the truce between Moscow and Kyiv in the eastern region of Kherson. Pictured: Ukrainians hug each other after being evacuated from the temporarily Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, Kherson region

The Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation has warned: 'Currently, the information broadcast (on this application) about threat levels does not correspond to reality.'

The app is used across Ukraine to warn people in real time of the threat of air strikes from Russia. 

People often have only minutes to find shelter in the case of, for example, a ballistic missile attack.

SPRAVDI, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications, blamed Russia for the hack in a post on its X account.

A separate app, which deals specifically with the Ukrainian capital, is still working normally, the Kyiv city authorities said.

The BBC reports that the messages started at around 10.47pm local time tonight. The first read: 'Radiation threat. Radiation threat declared in Kyiv.'

The next alert, sent one minute later, warned: 'Hi! There will be a nuclear alert across Ukraine. Don't worry, it's Oreshnik flying.'

A third message, delivered at 10.49pm, said: 'Chemical threat. There is a threat of a chemical attack on Kyiv. Don't go outside.'

A fourth, sent seconds later, stated there was a 'Street fighting threat. Street fighting is taking place in Kyiv. Don't go outside.'

Multiple all-clear messages were then sent out. 

It comes after the longest truce of the war, limited to the eastern Kherson region, ended on Sunday after Russia refused the offer of an extension, according to Ukrainian officials.

The rare pause in fighting, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump and which began early Tuesday, enabled a humanitarian mission to the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky as the war grinds through its fifth year.

Neither side reported violations after the truce began, in what one Ukrainian lawmaker described as the 'biggest de-escalation since 2022'.

'The ceasefire, which was in effect from October 27 to November 1, has ended,' said Ukraine's Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets.

He called the temporary truce 'an important step in our joint humanitarian efforts' with Russia.

An estimated 2,000 civilians were in Oleshky when the temporary truce took hold. 

 They were offered the choice of evacuating to territory controlled by Ukraine or Russia, or remaining in the city with replenished food and medical supplies. 

For the safety of those who have stayed, exact numbers were not released after the evacuation. 

At the Ukrainian border on Saturday, family members waited for a glimpse of their loved ones, while residents of nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and flashlights to greet the humanitarian convoy.

But Moscow and Kyiv have continued aerial strikes elsewhere, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying on Sunday that Russia continues to target Ukraine's energy systems ahead of winter.

US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume this month, having been effectively frozen since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran in February.