Why would Russia mark airstrikes with some kind of obfuscated Google Maps entries? I hope your hometown stays safe, but I can't see how this makes sense.
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Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
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Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#22It 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…
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Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#23Does anyone know why google maps is used here? Could it be trolling? To make people busy doing useless work?
If the tweet[0] tells the truth, it might be the case, that Russian military does not have any other choice.
[0] https://twitter.com/sbreakintl/status/1498619303717142529?s=...
Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#24It 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…
It's army that was told they are doing exercises and then sent to invade Ukraine instead. Regular soldiers and low-level officers weren't expecting this. They lack modern digital communication and use open analog channels for talking. Many of them were abandoning armored vehicles cause they ran out of fuel in the middle of nowhere and the logistic failed.
There's a lot of weird stuff happening, I find this plausible enough.
Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#25I 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.
I’ve put some thoughts in edit on this. What do you think?
Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#26> “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...
Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to restrict this activity geographically rather than based on accounts’ language?
Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#27It has been noted by number of analysts that it is surprising that Ukraine still has access to Internet. Everybody expected cyber warfare to be a major part of the invasion. One of the possible explanations mentioned: Russian army and its covert operatives need it.
Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#28Targeting airstrikes theory aside, wonder what Google thinks of the potential that Russian soldiers are using Maps to navigate while invading Ukraine?
Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#29Targeting airstrikes theory aside, wonder what Google thinks of the potential that Russian soldiers are using Maps to navigate while invading Ukraine?
I'm the exact opposite of a military expert, but the conflict being extremely asymmetric, a service like Google Maps helps the Ukranians side more than it helps the Russians.
Re: Ask HN: Can you help me remove the marks for the airstrikes from Google Maps?
#30If true, what would the debate within Google be like about closing Google services / blacklisting accounts or devices, over the affected regions? For such a thing they probably have to get approval from the state department or someone else correct?
I doubt it, the idea that Russian soldiers are using Maps to navigate in Ukraine is a PR disaster waiting to happen.