Panic and confusion gripped the listeners of several Russian radio stations on Monday, which broadcast a false speech Vladimir Putin announcing an invasion of Ukraine and martial law in Russia’s border regions. Authorities have already confirmed that it was a cyber attack..

On the air, a voice very similar to that of the Russian president said so “Ukrainian armed forces, armed to the teeth (…) and supported by Washington invaded the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions..

Ukraine says 485 children died during war with Russia

The message also announced the imposition of martial law in these regions, the imminent signing of a presidential decree on general mobilization in Russia and called on residents to evacuate.

“The enemy will be defeated, victory will be ours”was the last sentence of Putin’s bogus speech, a phrase the real president has used on other occasions.

However, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that it was a “cyber attack” and that Russian radio stations had already retaken control of their broadcasts.

Russia declares to search for and capture the head of the Ukrainian army

“The information about the invasion of the Ukrainian forces in the Belgorod region, the imposition of martial law, the general mobilization and evacuation (…) is incorrect,” said the authorities of the Belgorod region, an area that was the scene is of attacks, shelling and fighting between the Russian army and pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters.

“The purpose of this message is to sow panic among the residents”assured the crisis unit installed by the authorities on Telegram and called for “to keep calm” and to trust only “reliable” sources of information.

Currently, “the situation in the region is under the control of authorities and law enforcement,” they said on Telegram.