EMERCOM App Hacked: Russians Receive Fake «Nuclear Move» Alerts and Orders to Hide in Basements

On the night of November 2, 2026, the mobile application of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia was targeted by a massive cyberattack. Residents of at least four regions — Belgorod, Oryol, Voronezh, and Rostov oblasts — received panic-inducing notifications on their devices. According to the Telegram channel of the pro-Ukrainian partisan movement «ATESH» and Russian public pages, the text of the broadcast stated: «Threat of movement! Don't worry! Nuclear warheads on P1-SUN carriers have been launched across all regions of Russia (swamps)! Urgently stock up on food for 3 weeks and hide in your fucking basement otherwise your ass will be torn». The message was styled as an emergency alert, which, according to users, caused confusion and panic among recipients.

Official Confirmation: EMERCOM Acknowledges Cyberattack

Some time after the broadcast began, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia issued an official statement. The agency confirmed that the mobile application had been subjected to a «massive cyberattack», as a result of which «malicious actors managed to send fake information to the population». EMERCOM added that at the time of publication, «work is underway to eliminate the vulnerability of the mobile application and restore its normal functioning». The specific author of the attack is not named in the official statement; the attribution to the «ATESH» group is based solely on Telegram posts and has not been confirmed by the agency.

Context: Ukrainian «Air Raid Alert» App Hacked a Day Earlier

The cyber incident involving the EMERCOM app is the second within 24 hours. On the evening of November 1, the Ukrainian mobile application «Air Raid Alert» was subjected to a hacker attack. Users in Kyiv and other cities received warnings about the threat of a «Oreshnik» ballistic missile launch, street combat, as well as chemical and radioactive hazards. Spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Yuriy Ihnat confirmed in a comment to RBC-Ukraine that the application had been hacked and that the distributed warnings «did not correspond to reality». Thus, the emergency alert systems of two states were compromised in a single night, highlighting the vulnerability of critical mobile services amid information warfare.

What is Known About the Vulnerability and Consequences

The exact technical mechanism of the EMERCOM app hack has not been disclosed at the time of publication. The agency limited itself to a statement about «eliminating the vulnerability», without specifying whether the server broadcast channel, API, or client application was compromised. According to available data, the mailing did not cover the entire territory of Russia, but a limited set of regions, which may indicate that the attack targeted specific geographical segments of the user base. The official EMERCOM statement does not report the number of affected devices, the presence of personal data leaks, or compromised accounts. Cybersecurity experts have previously noted that emergency alert apps are a primary target for attackers because even a fake message delivered through a trusted state channel can cause mass panic and destabilize public opinion.

Reaction and Next Steps

At the time of preparing this material, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia had not published updates on the completion of app restoration work. Social media users continue to share screenshots of the received notifications, indicating the wide reach of the broadcast. The «ATESH» movement stated its responsibility for the attack in its Telegram channel, but independent verification of this attribution is currently impossible. The situation remains dynamic: an investigation into the circumstances of the incidents is underway in both Russia and Ukraine, and the issue of strengthening the security of mobile emergency alert services is once again coming to the forefront of public discourse.