Got 5 minutes?We would love to hear from you

Take our survey
News Feed

Google removed photos of Ukraine's military sites from its map, Ukrainian official says

1 min read
Google removed photos of Ukraine's military sites from its map, Ukrainian official says
A view of Google headquarters in California, United States, on March 23, 2024. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The locations of military sites in Ukraine are no longer displayed on Google Maps, said Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Counter-Disinformation Center under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, on Nov. 7.

Kovalenko reported earlier on Nov. 3 that the tech giant's online map service had revealed the locations of Ukrainian defense infrastructure after a recent update.

He said that images of Ukrainian military sites were visible on Google Maps and that Russian forces were "actively dispersing" the images.

"Google fixed the situation with maps... In the future, everything will be OK as well," Kovalenko said on Nov. 7.

According to Google's press service, the satellite images were taken more than a year ago and come from publicly available sources.

"We deliberately do not publish the latest images of war zones," the company said in its statement published on Nov. 6.

Kovalenko argued that old photos can reveal the strategy behind weapon locations, aiding Russia.

Avatar
Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, and social issues. Kateryna began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Before joining the team, she worked at the NV media outlet. Kateryna also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

Read more
News Feed
 (Updated:  )

"The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day, but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II. This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country."

Video

The Kyiv Independent’s Kollen Post and Nick Allard embed with sailors of the Ukrainian Navy operating small mine-clearing vessels off the coast of Odesa. Using sea drones and sonar systems, these crews identify potential explosives and secure maritime routes — often under the threat of Russian drone and missile attacks.

Show More