Air raid alert system disabled after cyberattack on Kyivstar telecom operator

The Kyiv Regional Military Administration is taking all measures to ensure that the residents of the region receive timely information about missile or drone threats despite the disruption in the operations of Ukraine’s major telecommunications operator, Kyivstar.

That’s according to Ruslan Kravchenko, the head of the administration, Ukrinform reports.

Due to the technical failure, the air raid alert system for the settlements of Bucha, Irpin, Vyshneve, Berezan, Skvyra, Rzhyshchiv, Tarashcha, Volodarka, and in the Hora territorial community (Boryspil district) has been disabled.

"In addition, there are point disconnections of the early warning system in the city of Boryspil and in another 75 settlements. But in all these populaces, the air raid alert signal is duplicated by another warning system," added Kravchenko.

He emphasized that in those settlements where problems exist with the system’s operation, patrol police and the State Emergency Service will be responsible for announcing an air raid alert, delivering information through loudspeakers.

The head of the administration also recalled that Invincibility Points with Wi-Fi access points have been deployed in Kyiv region, available to residents.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on the morning of December 12, users reported a large-scale failure in the Kyivstar communications operator’s services, including mobile signal and internet access. The mobile application is out of service, as well as its website.

The company stated that the main target of the powerful cyberattack was Kyivstar’s communication network, assuring that personal data of subscribers was not compromised. The operator's response teams are working on eliminating the consequences of the cyberbreach.