Ukraine and Russia have both confirmed that their official mobile applications for public emergency alerts were compromised by cyberattacks over the weekend. The incidents occurred shortly after the expiration of a localized six-day humanitarian truce in Olechky, a city in southern Ukraine under Russian occupation. Ukrainian authorities announced on Sunday night that their national air raid alert app had been hacked, displaying false information including threats of nuclear radiation and chemical attacks. The Ukrainian Air Force stated the app was likely subject to hostile interference, while the Center for Strategic Communications attributed the breach to Moscow.
In response, Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations reported on Monday a massive cyberattack against its own mobile application, which is used to warn citizens of Ukrainian drone strikes and other dangers. The Russian ministry warned that attackers had disseminated false information through the platform and confirmed that work was underway to fix the vulnerability and restore normal operations. Moscow has not yet identified the perpetrators of the attack on its system.
Violence continued across the front lines as the truce in Olechky ended at 22:59 local time on Sunday. Local authorities reported that Russian strikes killed at least three people in Ukraine on Sunday. In the Vinnytsia region, a woman and a 13-year-old girl were killed. Additionally, in the Sumy region, a Russian drone strike hit a civilian vehicle, killing a 70-year-old passenger. These attacks also resulted in several injuries.
On the diplomatic front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that his country would cease attacks on Russian oil refineries if the United States provided Patriot interceptor missiles. Speaking to Fox News, Zelensky explained that stopping strikes on Russian energy infrastructure requires either a cessation of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system or the delivery of air defense systems. He noted that while the Trump administration approved the sale of 500 Patriot missiles on Friday, deliveries could take years, prompting him to suggest allies provide missiles from their own stocks in the interim.
Military operations intensified elsewhere as well. Ukrainian forces claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the Lukoil refinery in Kstovo, located in the Nizhny Novgorod region 400 kilometers east of Moscow. The facility, one of Russia's largest with an annual capacity of 17 million tons, suffered significant damage and fires. Regional Governor Gleb Nikitine confirmed the industrial damage and warned of possible temporary power outages, while advising residents to fill their fuel tanks only as needed to avoid artificial demand spikes.
Regarding aerial defenses, the Ukrainian Air Force reported neutralizing or shooting down 371 of the 433 Russian drones launched overnight from Saturday to Sunday. Conversely, Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted 235 Ukrainian drones across ten regions and struck railway control centers in Sumy. The truce in Olechky, which began on Tuesday, allowed for the evacuation of nearly 700 residents via bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. Ukrainian human rights mediator Dmytro Loubinets confirmed that both sides respected their commitments during the ceasefire, facilitating humanitarian aid delivery.
Sources: Le Monde International.