In the lead-up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, intelligence agencies used every tool at their disposal to gather vital, up-to-date information. For the British intelligence services, that tool kit apparently included catfishing Russian soldiers on social networking sites, including Grindr.
A source told The Daily Mail that British spies became convinced of Putin’s imminent invasion after gaining access to messages on the site VKontakte (VK), the Russian version of Facebook.
And as Russian forces gathered at the Ukraine border, spies used Grindr to chat up Russian soldiers for intel. While Russia does not explicitly ban gay people from serving in the military, the subject is considered taboo. In 2003, Major-General of the Medical Service Valery Kuliko said gay soldiers should not reveal their sexuality because “other soldiers are not going to like that, they can be beaten.”
Related: Ukrainian LGBTQ activists captured a group of Russian soldiers hiding in a basement
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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,” the source said. “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 UK shared vast amounts of intelligence with the Ukrainians.
“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.”
Kangol2
Isn’t The Daily Mail revealing vital information by disclosing this? I’m not saying journalists shouldn’t report on sensitive information, but given that Russia is still invading and bombing Ukraine, publishing this info right now might tip the Russians to stop giving up this information, if they haven’t already shut down all the non-US dating/sex apps.
henare
probably (because everyone knows that the daily mail is ?anyway)
stanhope
The daily mail is the prolapsed wet anus of, dare i say it, journalism
GayEGO
Shhhhhh! Don’t tell Putler! He will be furious!
stanhope
Oh she looks like a bitter bottom queen…..have never seen her bitch…it is said she is secreted in switzerland with the dildo stash
moretruth
And even more reason for Putin and the crazy Russian Orthodox priests to blame and persecute the gays. Not sure why someone thought this was a good thing to reveal. The Daily Mail sucks.
Frankly Wild
It does indeed. The Daily Mail is frankly: a rag.
Wild
Fahd
Spies using the prospect of sex as a means to an end? Not a surprise.
I do have compassion for Russian conscripts who are gay and who have minimal opportunity to experience intimacy without using Grindr, but the old saying, “all is fair in love and war” comes to mind.
There also are stories of Russian NCOs acting as pimps and forcing young conscripts into homosexual prostitution. The NCOs make a little extra with this “casual” human trafficking. I wonder how many of these Grindr conversations have roots in this practice.
Now if only all of this Western ability to outsmart the Russians could quickly save some lives, stop the destruction of the Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure, and lead to peace soon. Keep up the good work, UK.
[email protected]
How f’n stupid to reveal this.
dougparr
I’m concerned that by stating that gay men are giving away Russian state secrets “Queerty” inadvertently is endangering the lives of gay Russian soldiers…Putin has been know to attack with a very broad brush. I think we need to be careful how we phrase information like this in the media to ensure we are not endangering lives….
SDR94103
queerty, you should take this info off of this site.
DCFarmboy
Russia conscripts males for two years of service at age 18. Hence those Russian twinks you see on OnlyFans are the ones fighting this war.
Capawok
I am embarrassed Queerty would stoop so low as to publish this.
For human sake already.
TAKE THIS DOWN.
ShiningSex
F*ck Russia!
[email protected]
Stupid to reveal sources and methods. Information obtained this way can also be used as disinformation.
nm4047
Needless to the Russians are doing exactly the same, but will suggest the genuine users on the various apps (assuming they still can access) will not be aware of the media ‘reporting’ this as they can’t access western media (without some effort). The Daily Mail wouldn’t be on the list of media that anyone in a foreign country would read (or understand the rags stories).
Joshooeerr
C’mon people – this is The Daily Mail, the worst of Murdoch’s rags. It’s not above manufacturing news, and it strikes me that re-cycling the ever-popular notion that gays are a security risk, even if it’s for Russia, would be just the kind of thing the Mail would do. It serves their conservative agenda in multiple ways.
barryaksarben
RUPUKE MURDOCH and his scummy children should NEVER be allowed to publish anything as all they do is cause trouble. Look at FOX adn he was forced to close his other rag in England after the horrible stunt they pulled with that dead girls phone and hacking the royals
fredk3
why even quote a piece of worthless trash like the daily mail owned by an even trashier worthless piece of rag rupert murdoch? any for chrissake why would anyone be so hollow headed as to reveal secret sources of information DURING an invasion by a known hostile dictatorship? this site should know better than to dignify them with a mention.
oddtop
I think this site ought to refrain from speculating on the behavior of possibly gay Russian conscripts. You have no idea of the capacity of Russian intelligence to reveal these men. Putin is exceedingly homophobic and life for gay men is just plain dangerous in Russia. The preferred way of persecuting gay men there is to reveal them publicly and the dog whistle will bring on the local homophobic tormentors. Please don’t be a part of this.
trojanboy
The Daily Mail is propaganda not journalism.