Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs is warning residents of under-siege regions to switch off home surveillance systems and dating apps to stop Ukraine from using them for intel-gathering purposes. Residents of the Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod regions were issued with the warnings amid what seems like Russia being thoroughly rattled by Ukraine’s incursion into the country’s southwest.
“The enemy is massively identifying IP ranges in our territories and connecting to unprotected video surveillance cameras remotely, viewing everything from private yards to roads and highways of strategic importance,” said the ministry, according to Russian newswire Interfax. “In this regard, if there is no urgent need, it is better not to use video surveillance cameras. “It is highly discouraged to use online dating services. The enemy actively uses such resources for the covert collection of information.”
These warnings were just two of many included in a public memo aimed at protecting the identities of high-value Russian individuals, including military personnel, law enforcement agents, and nuclear energy workers. They follow an unexpected table-turning offensive launched by Ukraine on August 6, during which it surged into Kursk Oblast, seizing hundreds of square miles of land within mere weeks.
Kyiv claims to have captured more land in three weeks than Russia has managed so far this year; Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022. Russian officials, meanwhile, say nearly 200,000 Kursk and Belgorod residents have been evacuated following the advancement of Ukrainian forces.
The memo’s warnings appear to be driven by fears of Russians with knowledge of Ukrainian interest being captured and having their devices combed for intel
