Ukraine’s Air Force said a nuclear alert sent through the Air Alert app was false after alarming messages appeared on cellphones across the country on Sunday, Nov. 1. (Foto: Instagram)
Ukraine’s Air Force denied reports of a nuclear threat after alarming messages appeared on cellphones across the country on Sunday, Nov. 1. The military said the Air Alert app, which warns people about attacks, may have been compromised. Authorities did not identify who might have accessed the system or explain how the messages were sent.
In Kyiv, some alerts also referred to chemical threats and street clashes. Air Alert tells residents when to seek shelter and allows them to monitor areas considered at risk. Ukrainian media reported that one message was written in Russian and included a link to a purported Telegram channel.
The message claimed that a nuclear alert would be issued across Ukraine and urged recipients not to worry, adding that an Oreshnik missile was on its way. The Air Force said the warning was false and directed people to follow updates from its official Telegram channel.
In a post there, the Air Force said the app had probably been subjected to hostile interference and that there was no radiation threat. It urged the public to remain calm and follow the military’s updates. Earlier Sunday morning, before the alerts were sent, Ukraine’s Hydrometeorological Center had reported that radiation levels remained stable.
