Ukraine’s Air Force said mobile alerts warning of a supposed nuclear threat may have resulted from interference with the country’s Air Alert app. (Foto: Instagram)
Ukraine’s Air Force on Sunday, Nov. 1, denied reports of a nuclear threat after alerts appeared on mobile phones across the country. The military said the Air Alert app, which is used to warn the public about attacks, may have been compromised.
In Kyiv, the messages also referred to chemical threats and street clashes. The Air Alert app tells residents when to seek shelter and lets them track areas facing danger. Ukrainian news outlets reported that one message was written in Russian and included a link to what it described as a Telegram channel.
The message claimed that a nuclear alert would be issued across Ukraine and told people not to worry because an Oreshnik missile was on its way. The Ukrainian Air Force urged the public to stay calm and follow updates on its official Telegram channel. It did not say who may have interfered with the app or explain how the alerts were sent.
In its statement, the Air Force said the app had probably been subject to enemy interference, adding that there was no radiation threat and asking people to follow the military’s updates. Earlier Sunday morning, before the messages were sent, Ukraine’s Hydrometeorological Center had reported that radiation levels remained stable.
