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Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?

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Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?

#1

Post by wzyoi »

My hometown, which I left on the 14th, so far has been safe.

But it's about to change. Today I stumbled upon information about supposed marks for the airstrikes on Google Maps.

I tried cheking information myself and found it very believable. Replicate as follows:

1. Search for Dnipro on Google Maps

2. Enter фермерське господарство (means farm on Ukrainian, but there are no farms there) in search

3. Do not press enter and look for auto-complete: Those are supposed targets.

Those marks are unusual: you can’t even report them. I never seen anything like this.

Video demonstration here:

https://youtu.be/OHGsFCfuB_k

This may save lives, including people I know. That’s why I need your help.

Important Edit: I have to clarify that in my opinion these are more probably marks for saboteurs to make real-world marks on the specified locations.

Examples here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/russia-invades-ukraine-secret-symbols-seen-in-ukraine-point-to-escalation-of-violence/ZRZPD5W7WRAWD3U32C4PHB273I/

Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?

#3

Post by ketralnis »

It feels very improbable that a government would be using google maps for this. It feels even more improbable that even if they are, removing a mark from google maps would prevent them from launching an actual air strike. Surely a target important enough to "mark" would be worth finding an alternative way to target in case a bunch of keyboard warriors figure out your nefarious plan.

None of this makes sense.

I know it feels good to feel like you're helping but I think you're being trolled by assholes on the internet.

Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?

#6

Post by invalidname »

ketralnis wrote: post #3

It feels very improbable that a government would be using google maps for this. It feels even more improbable that even if they are, removing a mark from google maps would prevent them from launching an actual air strike. Surely a target important enough to "mark" would be worth finding an alternative way to target in case a bunch of keyboard warriors figure out your nefarious plan. None of this makes sense. I know i…

As far as I understand the Russian equipment is awful and unmaintained. As a result soldiers in the field just use cell phones and Google Maps to coordinate. Yes they have the original military equipment as the source of the commands but it's much easier to communicate via cell phones.

If you know Russians this makes 100% perfect sense...

The solution isn't to remove it. Just move the locations slightly to an empty field nearby.

Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?

#8

Post by hedora »

Other commenters in other threads say that these marks are placed by civilians working on behalf of the Russian government. It makes some sense. No software is needed, and traffic analysis looking for spies is unlikely to flag https requests to google maps. Also, Russian owned map services are supposedly blocked in Ukraine. Some people claim to have worked with Russia in this way for anti-isis strikes in syria.

At the very least, they are defacement, and google should pull them. Hopefully someone from their maps abuse team will take a look. HN search of articles in the last 24 hours should find the comments I’m referring to.

Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?

#9

Post by Maxious »

> “Out of an abundance of caution, we are removing user contributions like photos, videos, reviews and business information and all user-submitted places from Google Maps in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus since the invasion began, and are temporarily blocking new edits from being made,” a Google spokesperson said.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/sarahemerson/russia-goo...

Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?

#10

Post by playpause »

I don’t know if this is true. But to everyone dismissing the idea that a military would ever use Google Maps to co-ordinate, you may have missed some news stories about what a shitshow the first few days of the Russian invasion has been. Major breakdown of their digital systems and lots of improvisation.
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