Western Spies Use Gay Dating App to Track Russian Soldiers in Ukraine
Putin's forces captured after secretly using 'illegal' apps on cell phones
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Western spies have been able to track the movements of Russian soldiers by monitoring the data from gay dating apps they have secretly installed on their cell phones.
British intelligence services revealed that they helped to monitor the Russian invasion of Ukraine by tracking the soldiers' use of the gay dating app Grindr.
As Russian forces mobilized on the Ukraine border, UK spies grew increasingly certain that Vladimir Putin was planning a full invasion after monitoring messages on social media.
The intelligence agents tapped into messages exchanged on sites such as VKontakte, known as VK for short, which is the Russian equivalent of Facebook.
Secrets were also shared on gay dating sites, which are banned in Russia, along with geographical data from the apps, allowing spies to track their movements.
Putin banned homosexual "propaganda" in 2013, but the app is still used in secret, even in the military.
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"These sites were a treasure trove for our spies, and the dating apps in particular – soldiers and those involved in the military effort were particularly unguarded," a source reportedly told The Daily Mail.
"It meant we were very au fait with the plans and the imminence of the invasion, right down to details such as the movement of blood supplies to the Russian troops."
The source added that the amount – and the quality – of the intelligence shared with the Ukrainians was highly unusual.
"We are basically giving them unexpurgated access to our intelligence to help them as best we can, only keeping back details to protect sources and to disguise some of our methods."
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The news comes after warnings from France that the invasion of Ukraine may only just be getting started.
After speaking with Vladimir Putin during a lengthy phone conversation Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that "the worst is yet to come" from Russia.
As Neon Nettle reported, Macron spoke with Putin about Russia's invasion of Ukraine but said the call left him convinced that the war is going to get far worse.
Following the 90-minute phone conversation, which Putin initiated, a senior Élysée Palace official told reporters that a diplomatic breakthrough is nowhere in sight.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine last week, the two leaders have held three phone conversations regarding the crisis.
However, Macron is now warning that Putin has no intention of backing down and only plans to ramp up attacks against Ukraine.
"Without making a prediction, we should expect the worst is yet to come," the French official said.
