Ukraine has raised concerns over Google’s online mapping service, accusing the tech giant of inadvertently exposing the locations of its military assets. Andrii Kovalenko, who leads the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, stated that recent satellite images revealing military sites have already been “actively distributed” by Russian sources, though specific details about the exposed locations remain undisclosed.
Kovalenko expressed frustration that Google has yet to make the necessary adjustments to its maps, explaining that the company only responded to Ukraine’s official requests after the issue gained public attention. According to Google Ukraine’s official response, the images in question are over a year old, sourced from publicly available archives, and the company consciously avoids publishing recent combat zone images. Google emphasized its ongoing communication with Ukrainian officials regarding sensitive data.
The exposure of military locations raises security concerns, as these images could reveal the positioning of critical defense assets, including air defense systems. Kovalenko underscored the potential threat this poses, not only to Ukraine but also to other nations using similar military systems. While he declined to provide specific examples of Russia using the revealed locations, he emphasized the serious implications of such an oversight.
Both Ukraine and Russia depend on satellite imagery to monitor enemy troop movements and assess tactics. Ukraine often relies on satellite images from allies, including companies like Maxar Technologies, Planet, and BlackSky. Google also partners with these companies, integrating purchased images into its map services.
Russia, however, traditionally relies on its own satellites and occasionally purchases commercial satellite images, typically through intermediaries due to the reluctance of companies to work directly with Moscow following international sanctions. Since the war began, Google has suspended many of its services in Russia, though Google Maps remains available with limited functionality.
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