As many as 30% of employees in the Russian presidential administration continue to use iPhones for personal communication, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.Peskovs comments came after Russias Federal Security Services (FSB) announced that it had detected anomalies in some iPhones in Russia caused bymalicious software that it linked to surveillance operations by American intelligence services.The FSB claimed that the malware was detected in at least 1,000 iPhones, including those used by members of Russias diplomatic missions.The detected malware "indicates the close cooperation of Apple with the United States National Security Agency and confirms that the user privacy policy declared by Apple is not accurate," the FSB said in a report cited by the RBC news website.We dont have the power to even recommend that, Peskov told journalists when asked whether the Kremlin had banned its employees from using iPhones.Of course, those who work in the government, those who work with state secretslive under certain restrictions in general, he added.Apple denied the FSB's allegations."We have never worked with any government to insert a backdoor into any Apple product and never will," the United States tech giant said in a statement cited by Reuters.In March, the Kremlin said itbanned employees from using iOS or Android-equipped smartphones for official purposes.Earlier this year, the Kommersant business daily reportedthat Kremlin internal policy staff, including those involved in President Vladimir Putins 2024 re-election campaign, had been banned from using their iPhones for fear of espionage.Russia has sought to reduce its dependence on foreign-made technologies in recent years amid worsening relations with the West.After Apple and Samsung exited the Russian market in response to the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, sales of Chinese-made smartphones soared in Russia.