Vladimir Putin Bans Kremlin Staff From Using iPhones Over Spying Fears From The U.S.

A paranoid Vladimir Putin forbid his Kremlin staffers from using iPhones over the fear that the United States would hack the devices for surveillance, RadarOnline.com has learned.

The latest order came as the relentless attack on unprovoked Ukraine raged on — and left Russian troops in dire condition, as Putin, 70, was accused of using body doubles over fears of assassination due to the costly war.

Putin gave his Kremlin staffers until the end of March to ditch their Apple devices. Staff was given the option to switch to Android-powered phones or Russia's Linx-based software, Aurora.

One insider told Russia's Kommersant magazine that "it's all over for the iPhone. Either throw it away or give it to the kids."

The source added that the decision was due to "more susceptible to hacking and espionage by Western experts compared to other smartphones."

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Putin crony Dmitry Peskov upped the ante and claimed that Kremlin staff should refrain from using any type of smartphone device for work purposes, a tough task in modern society.

"Smartphones should not be used for official business," Peskov said of the ban.

Psekov alleged that smartphones were "transparent" and susceptible to hacks by Western groups like the United State's NSA and GCHQ in Cheltenham.

"Any smartphone has a fairly transparent mechanism," Peskov continued. "No matter what operating system it has Android or iOS."

Following Putin's spokesperson's comments, the Russian government is allegedly looking into supplying staff with "new and secure" devices, although it was not known if they would be Android smartphones. A possible option for the replacement devices could be the Russian-made AYYA T1 smartphone.

The Russian device is equipped with an "anti-wiretapping" feature with a physical switch that can be used to disable its camera and microphone.

The AYYA T1 smartphone has allegedly undergone testing within Russia's Ministry of Defense before a potential roll-out to Kremlin staffers.

While the Kremlin has looked to increase security in fear of hackers, the U.S. and U.K. governments have considered a ban on the social media app TikTok, also over paranoia that the Chinese-based platform could be susceptible to spies. The BBC announced that the app was removed from company-owned devices.

"The BBC takes the safety and security of our systems, data and people incredibly seriously," the outlet said in a statement. "We constantly review activity on third-party platforms – including TikTok – and will continue to do so."