The Russian Interior Ministry issued a memo on Tuesday to the population of the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions bordering Ukraine, opposing the use of video surveillance systems and dating sites to prevent the Kiev offensive from gathering information in the regions.

It said Kyiv could remotely collect information from surveillance cameras and suggested that Ukraine could achieve “covert intelligence collection” by using dating apps.

“The enemy is extensively investigating IP ranges in our territories and remotely connecting to unprotected video surveillance cameras. This allows them to monitor everything from private yards to roads and highways of strategic importance.

“In this context, it is better not to use video surveillance cameras unless there is an urgent need,” the ministry told Russian journalists, according to Interfax Russia.

“It is strongly discouraged to use online dating services. The enemy actively uses such resources for covert intelligence gathering,” it added.

Molfar, a Ukrainian risk assessment and analysis company, has previously lured lonely Russian soldiers on dating sites to share information that was then passed on to the Ukrainian military.

The Russian Interior Ministry also urged people not to post dashcam footage on social media or share live streams while driving, as these could inadvertently show military equipment stationed on public roads.

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Additional orders for Russian troops

The ministry also issued additional instructions to local military and law enforcement agencies to further prevent intelligence leaks. These measures include removing all geolocation tags and identifiable personal information from their devices.

In addition, troops were advised not to open unknown links and to avoid using devices containing both official and private information if “the enemy can gain physical access to them.”

Russian police said: “It is necessary to control and moderate chats and immediately delete the accounts of people captured by the enemy, as well as the accounts of people whose phones the enemy has gained access to.”

The Russian Interior Ministry also asked troops to deactivate the “People Nearby” feature in the Telegram messenger and change their nicknames on social media that could indicate their military affiliation.

“If your number appears in search results recorded as ‘Lesha FSB’, ‘Pasha Rosgvardia’ or ‘Misha 123 Regiment’, this number must be changed, it has been compromised,” the ministry’s press office said.

On August 6, Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, leading to the declaration of a federal state of emergency in the region and later in the neighboring Belgorod region.

On Monday, August 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had captured 92 settlements in Russia’s Kursk region.