Have a cold shower, people.
Russia’s interior ministry is currently trying to clamp down on the use of dating apps in the regions that have been hammered by Ukraine’s surprise incursion, which has stunned the Kremlin.
“The use of online dating services is strongly discouraged. The enemy is actively using them to gather information,” the interior ministry said to citizens in Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk, according to information published by Russian media.
The ministry has also issued recommendations to military and law enforcement personnel, including not to open any hyperlinks in messages received from strangers and not to stream videos on roads where military vehicles are present.
Popular Western dating apps Tinder, Bumble and Badoo have left the Russian market since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukraine began its surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk on Aug. 7, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Monday that Kyiv now controls more than 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory.
Kyiv’s special military operation targeted the Kursk and Belgorod regions, and has also led to Russia declaring a state of emergency in neighboring Bryansk.