Advice from Moscow

Citizens of the Kursk region should delete dating apps

Moscow warns residents of Russian border regions of Ukrainian eavesdropping on dating apps for cell phones.(Bild: Silas Stein / dpa / picturedesk.com)

The Russian Interior Ministry has asked people in three regions on the border with Ukraine to deactivate dating apps on their smartphones and online surveillance cameras. There are fears that the Ukrainian army could tap into them.

"The enemy identifies IP addresses on our territory on a large scale and connects remotely to unsecured cameras that monitor everything from private yards to strategically important roads and highways," the ministry said.

Ukraine is now fighting on Russian soil
The use of online dating services was also advised against, as these could also be used to collect information. Ukraine, which has been defending itself against a Russian war of aggression for more than two years, launched a counter-offensive around two weeks ago, advancing into the western Russian region of Kursk. This is the first time that Kiev has shifted the war to the territory of its opponent. Russia continues to occupy large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine.

The Ministry of the Interior has advised Russian soldiers not to open text messages from unknown senders. They should also delete chats with comrades if they have been taken prisoner of war. The Ministry of the Interior recommends that residents of regions close to the border do not share video recordings on social networks that show military convoys.

Soldiers, police officers and secret service employees should also delete photos on their cell phones that identify them as members of these services. They should also refrain from using nicknames such as "Lyosha FSB" online. The FSB is the Russian domestic intelligence service.

"Employees in the energy industry, including the nuclear industry, should remove their professional affiliation from social networks so that they do not fall into the field of vision of hostile intelligence services," it continues.