Russia tells citizens to switch off home surveillance because the Ukrainians are coming

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.

The military was reminded to avoid opening links that come from anyone other than official sources, and, while they're at it, to avoid using devices at all if they contain a significant amount of state and/or personal information.

Russian police officials reportedly said: "It is necessary to control and moderate chats, and promptly delete from them the accounts of people who have been captured by the enemy, as well as the accounts of people whose phones the enemy has gained access to."

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If using Telegram, users were urged to disable the app's feature allowing other users to identify people who are geographically close to them. Deleting all markers that tie an individual to a specific affiliation, such as soldiers, law enforcement workers, and those working in the energy sector – especially nuclear power – was advised too.

"If your number appears in search results as recorded by third parties as 'Lesha FSB,' 'Pasha Rosgvardia,' 'Misha 123 Regiment,' this number needs to be changed, it has been compromised."

Social media posts must be audited too, removing any images or posts that are geotagged, out of fear that they could be used to locate Russian troops.

Citizens were additionally asked to avoid posting to social media any footage taken from dashcams or similar equipment, as these may show specific Russian military equipment in transit, which could then be used to locate soldiers.

El Reg approached the Ukrainian embassy in London for comment, but it did not respond. ®