Russia urges border cities to quit dating apps

The three regions lie close to the Ukraine border
Five people were killed in Belgorod during a Ukrainian shelling Sunday
Russians near military vehicles have been urged to avoid clicking hyperlinks

Updated: Aug 25, 2024 / 11:15 AM CDT

Dating apps on the display of an iPhone SE.

(NewsNation) — Russia is imploring citizens along its border regions to avoid using dating apps for fear of security breaches.

Those within the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions – all of which lie in close proximity to Ukraine – have been asked to refrain from “online dating services” by Russia’s interior ministry.

“The enemy actively uses such resources for information gathering,” the ministry wrote on its Telegram channel.

Five people died in a Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod on Sunday, with another two injured and a journalist missing at the time of writing.

Other suggestions made by the ministry included not opening hyperlinks in messages within the vicinity of military vehicles.

“The enemy monitors social networks in real-time by these tags and reveals the actual location of military and security forces,” the advisory read.

The ministry also alleged that Ukraine was connecting into “unprotected CCTV cameras remotely, viewing everything — from private yards to roads and highways of strategic importance.”