During a national telethon, Yuriy Ihnat, Head of Communications for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that the Air Raid Alert app is operational again and is once more displaying Russian aerial targets, including Shahed-type strike drones. According to him, the system was restored after its operation was temporarily suspended.
Timeline of the Failure
On the evening of November 1, the Air Raid Alert app stopped working. Its website displayed a red alert across the entire territory of Ukraine, alongside reports of a purported chemical threat and street fighting in Kyiv. Subsequently, the system's operation was temporarily suspended; currently, according to Ihnat's statement, it is functioning again. Cyberattacks on the app, as noted, coincided with the conclusion of a limited truce.
Confirmation of the Hack and Its Objectives
In a comment to RBC-Ukraine, Yuriy Ihnat confirmed that the app had been hacked and emphasized that the information regarding the aforementioned threats did not correspond to reality. The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) reported that, in their assessment, the cyberattack aimed to undermine trust in the alert system.
Target Movement Map in the Updated App
The updated app now features a map showing the approximate movement of enemy drones and missiles. According to Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Koretsky, this is a joint project of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Defense, the Air Force of Ukraine, and Ukrainian IT companies. Minister of Digital Transformation Oksana Ferchuk clarified that the map displays cruise missiles, Shahed-type strike drones (including jet-powered ones), guided aerial bombs, and Bandlerol loitering munitions. Meanwhile, the movement of ballistic missiles is not shown on the map.
Why Ballistics Are Not Displayed
Yuriy Ihnat explained that ballistic missiles cannot be displayed in the app because they remain in airspace for only a few seconds. According to him, intelligence data regarding launches from foreign partners arrives, but not always, and the partners' space intelligence is important for protecting citizens and infrastructure. Koretsky also emphasized that the map does not show the exact real-time location of targets, and when an alert is announced, citizens must immediately take cover.
Kyiv's Statements on Retaliatory Actions
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had hacked the Russian emergency notification system in response to the cyberattack. This statement came against the backdrop of the restoration of the Ukrainian app's operation and the discussion of the November 1 incident.
Thus, the incident surrounding the Air Raid Alert app demonstrates that the alert system has become a target of cyber influence, while its restoration and functional expansion are part of efforts to maintain citizens' trust in official information channels amid the conflict.
