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Ukraine says air-alert app showed false radiation warning after suspected hack
Ukraine's Air Force said Sunday the public air-raid alert app briefly showed a nuclear-style warning for Kyiv and other areas after what it called enemy influence, and that there was no radiation threat.
- Arab News is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “Ukraine air raid app apparently hacked as users receive false radiation threat, Air Force says”
- Our desk filed its story
- BBC is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “Ukrainian air force says public air raid alert app has been hacked”
Wire reporting: (Reuters, via Arab News)
Ukraine's Air Force said Sunday that the public air-raid alert app was compromised and for a short time displayed a false radiation or nuclear-style warning, while stating there was no radiation threat1,2.
BBC reported that the app was apparently hacked and briefly said the capital Kyiv was subject to a radiation threat, according to the Air Force1. That BBC page was still a stub beyond that lead when reviewed1.
Arab News, in a Reuters-bylined report, said the Air Force stated late Sunday that the public app had been hacked, and that it briefly showed Kyiv and other areas subject to a nuclear alert before the abnormality disappeared2.
The same Reuters account quoted the Air Force on Telegram as saying the app appeared to have been subjected to enemy influence, that there was no radiation threat, and that people should stay calm and follow the service's channel2. The original Reuters page was not readable in this review3.
None of the cited reports named a perpetrator, described how the app was accessed, or said how many users saw the false warning1,2.
Sources
How it’s being reported
2 sourcesFirst reported by 
Reuters
Ukraine air raid app apparently hacked as users receive false radiation threat, Air Force says
Apparent hack and a short-lived radiation threat shown for Kyiv
BBC's published lead says the air-raid alert app was apparently hacked Sunday and for a short time said Kyiv was subject to a radiation threat, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The rest of the… BBC News
Leaves out Reuters/Arab News detail that other areas besides Kyiv were shown under a nuclear alert, and the Air Force Telegram wording about enemy influence
Ukrainian air force says public air raid alert app has been hacked
Leads with what someone said.
Same copy also at: Reuters
Where they agree
- The Air Force said the public air-raid alert app was compromised on Sunday
- Authorities said there was no radiation threat
- The false warning involved Kyiv and was short-lived
Where they differ
Geographic scope of the false alert