From Misa-ri to Secret Facilities... Russia Angered by 'Google Maps' Revealing Military Sites

Google "Has Not Changed Any Issue"

The Ukrainian military claims that Google has decided to clearly reveal Russian military facilities on Google Maps. / Photo by Ukrainian military Twitter capture, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] High-resolution images of Russian military facilities have been released on the Google Maps app.

On the morning of the 18th (local time), the Ukrainian military posted four photos of Russian military facilities sourced from Google Maps on Twitter, claiming, "Now everyone can see various Russian artillery, intercontinental ballistic missiles, command buildings, and secret underground facilities at 0.5m pixel resolution."

The photos include Russian warships docked at a port and fighter jets at an airbase. Images of the Russian Far East Kamchatka Peninsula port and the Kursk region airbase near the Ukraine border can be viewed on Google Maps.

Additionally, on Google Maps, the Russian fleets docked at the Sevastopol port in the Crimean Peninsula, forcibly annexed by Russia in 2014, can also be clearly seen.

Russian warship docked at the port of Sevastopol in the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine. / Photo by Google Maps Capture, Yonhap News

Russian media outlet The Moscow Times claimed, "Amid recent tensions between Google and Russia, Google decided to disclose these military facilities." It is alleged that Google previously blurred or lowered the resolution of areas with military and security facilities on Google Maps but has now changed its policy.

In fact, last month, Google completely suspended advertisements from Russian companies and institutions involved in the invasion of Ukraine across its platforms, including its search engine and YouTube, and also fully blocked YouTube channels associated with state media.

However, Google stated, "The headquarters has not changed any policy regarding blurring satellite images taken inside Russia." They explained that these facilities have been clearly visible on Google Maps since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.