In Russia, the Bal missile systems were disguised on Yandex maps, replaced with an image of forest
Kyiv • UNN
Finnish outlet Yle noticed that on Yandex satellite maps, the positions of Bal coastal missile systems in Kronstadt had been replaced with an image of forest, although they are visible on Google Maps. The reasons for this concealment are unknown, and its effectiveness against Ukrainian intelligence is questionable.
In Russia, the positions of the Bal coastal missile systems in Kronstadt have been masked on Yandex satellite maps, with the actual images of the area replaced by images showing a forest. Finnish outlet Yle drew attention to this, Defense Express reports, writes UNN.
Details
The military facilities remain visible in satellite images from other mapping services. In particular, the positions and launchers of the Bal systems can be seen on Google Maps.
At the same time, Yandex users see images of a wooded area instead of the military unit at the corresponding coordinates. Defense Express notes that military facilities on mapping services are usually concealed using blurring or pixelation, rather than by completely replacing the satellite image.
Who is Russia masking military facilities for?
The outlet notes that Ukraine’s Defense Forces are unlikely to use Russia’s Yandex mapping services to plan strikes on military facilities. Therefore, the effectiveness of such masking in countering Ukrainian intelligence raises questions.
Most other Russian military facilities on Yandex are concealed in the traditional way. The reasons why images of the positions in Kronstadt were replaced with a forest are currently unknown.
At the same time, Russia is continuing to restrict access to the global internet and develop a separate Russian segment of the network. Therefore, such masking may be primarily intended for users inside Russia who view satellite maps.