Russian authorities have warned residents in areas at risk of attack by Ukrainian forces to stop using surveillance cameras and dating apps, citing concerns they could be used for espionage.
A statement from the Russian Interior Ministry (MVD) said Ukrainian forces were remotely connecting to unsecured CCTV cameras “to monitor everything from private gardens to strategically important roads and highways.”
Ukraine has also allegedly used dating apps and social networks such as VKontakte, Telegram and Instagram to collect information about and locate users, including Russian military personnel.
“We strongly recommend not posting dashcam recordings on social networks or broadcasting them while driving on highways where military equipment is also moving, as these videos may show objects of interest and importance to the enemy,” the MVD said.
Employees of local energy facilities, including the nuclear industry, must remove their professional ties from social networks to avoid attracting the attention of Ukrainian intelligence services.
Russian military personnel in the affected areas should exercise caution when using the Telegram messaging app and disable features that could allow Ukraine to identify their location or obtain personal information.
Earlier this month, Russia enacted a law allowing military commanders to detain soldiers for up to 10 days if they are found using personal mobile phones during fighting in Ukraine.
The law prohibits soldiers from using “domestic” electronic devices capable of storing and sharing “audio, photo, video material, and location data” over the internet. The restrictions also apply to the online distribution of any information related to Russian military operations.
Ukraine launched an offensive operation into Russia in early August, starting in the Kursk region, and has reportedly seized more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory and dozens of Russian settlements.
In response to the Ukrainian aggression, the Russian government announced it would launch so-called “counter-terrorist operations” in the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions, adding that it would set up units to defend settlements along the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine's military intelligence service (HUR) said on Monday it had hacked into the servers of several Russian television stations and broadcast war footage, including from Kursk.
According to independent Russian media reports, citing anonymous sources close to the Kremlin, Russian authorities have instructed state propaganda media to downplay the significance of the invasion of Ukraine's Kursk region and to assure viewers that the deoccupation of the area may take time.
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