Ukraine accuses Google of revealing locations of its military systems

Ukraine is accusing Google of exposing the locations of its military sites in recent updates to its online mapping service.

Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said the images were spotted last week and have already been “actively distributed” by Russians. He did not provide further details about what was specifically revealed or how Moscow could use the obtained data.

In a comment to Recorded Future News on Tuesday, Kovalenko said Google hasn’t yet fixed the maps, explaining that the process to do so is not simple. He claimed the company only responded to official letters sent by Ukraine and promised to update the maps after the story became public.

Google did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication, but the company’s representatives in Ukraine told local media the satellite images in question were taken over a year ago and came from publicly available sources.

“We consciously avoid publishing the latest images of combat zones. We take such requests very seriously and maintain ongoing communication with Ukrainian officials,” Google Ukraine said, citing the company’s official response.

Kovalenko said the public exposure of any military information can be detrimental, as it could reveal the positioning of military equipment, such as air defense systems.

According to him, intelligence agencies from other countries could use this information, potentially endangering not only Ukraine but any nation using missile interceptors. 

“This is a serious oversight by Google,” Kovalenko told Recorded Future News.

He declined to elaborate on whether Ukraine has seen examples of Russia using the recently published images, citing the sensitivity of the topic.

Both Ukraine and Russia rely heavily on satellite images to collect intelligence. These images help in analyzing the movement of enemy troops and their tactics over time.

Ukraine primarily requests these images from its allies, including U.S. companies such as Maxar Technologies, Planet and BlackSky. Google also partners with these companies and integrates purchased images into its mapping platform.

Unlike Ukraine, Russia has traditionally relied on its own satellites. It also purchases commercial images but often does so through intermediaries, as many of these companies have refused to work with Moscow due to sanctions or ethical concerns following its invasion of Ukraine.

Google has suspended many of its services in Russia since the start of the war, though some, including Google Maps, are still available with limited functionality.