Russia calls for restrictions on surveillance cameras, dating apps in cities under attack from Ukraine

Russian authorities are warning residents in regions at risk of Ukrainian offensives to stop using surveillance cameras and dating apps out of fear that they could be used for intelligence gathering.

According to a statement from Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), Ukrainian forces are remotely connecting to unprotected CCTV cameras, "viewing everything from private yards to roads and highways of strategic importance."

Ukraine is also allegedly using dating apps and social networks such as VKontakte, Telegram and Instagram to collect information and identify the location of their users, including Russian soldiers.

"It is strongly recommended not to post video recordings from dashcams on social networks or to broadcast while driving on highways where military equipment is also moving, as these videos may capture objects of interest and significance to the enemy," the MVD said.

Employees of local energy facilities, including those in the nuclear industry, must remove their professional affiliations from social networks to avoid attracting the attention of Ukrainian intelligence services.

Russian military personnel in the affected regions should be cautious while using the Telegram messaging app and disable functions that could allow Ukraine to identify their location or obtain personal information.

Earlier in July, Russia enacted a law allowing military unit commanders to detain soldiers for up to ten days if they are caught using personal mobile phones while fighting in Ukraine.

The law prohibits soldiers from using electronic devices “for household purposes” that can store and share “audio, photo, video materials, and geolocation data” over the internet. The restrictions also apply to the online distribution of any information related to the operations of the Russian army.

Ukraine started its offensive operation inside Russia earlier in August, beginning with the Kursk region. Ukraine has reportedly gained control of over 1,000 square kilometers and dozens of Russian settlements.

Following Ukraine’s incursion, the Russian government announced a so-called "counter-terrorist operation" in the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions, adding that it will establish troop groups to defend settlements along the Ukrainian border.

On Monday, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said it broke into the servers of several Russian television channels and broadcasted, among other things, war footage from Kursk.

According to Russian independent media reports, citing anonymous sources close to the Kremlin, Russian authorities instructed state propaganda media to downplay the significance of Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region but also prepare their audience for the possibility that the de-occupation of the territory may take some time.