Russians beat on Google coordinates: as the gift of the Dnieper showed the vulnerability of Ukraine
The leader of the project of Victory Drones and volunteer Maria Berlinskaya drew attention to the danger of open data after the Russian blow to the Dnieper on September 30, 2025. Russian propagandists stated that their drone "Shahaned" had hit the drone production company. It turned out that the specified address coincides with the legal address of the real manufacturer, which works at the place of registration.
Google search easily confirms its location, which makes such objects vulnerable to attacks. Berlin posted on Telegram screenshots, which show how accurate data are available in the state registers: the company's address, owners' names, financial statements. The Forbes portal also contains details about the company. According to her, such openness is a critical mistake, because Russia is actively using OSINT to plan strokes.
"Real physical, legal addresses, owners' names, income information, specific products - swim in the ocean of the Internet on the surface. Just because the state has not closed them. Take and enter the coordinates," Berlin emphasized.
The Deputy CEO of the Eelectronic Wrestling Company and Aviation Expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky notes that Russian strikes in the cities of Ukraine are often sent to enterprises that are not directly related to the production of weapons, but are critical for supply chains. "The blows to the Dnieper were directed simply by the enterprise that is criticized, although there is nothing production for weapons," he says.
The expert emphasizes the desire of Ukraine to remain a democratic state with transparency, but there is a problem how to protect manufacturers from leakage data on the location of the capacity of the defense enterprise. According to him, the problem has existed for a long time and is serious. Moreover, even the actions of public authorities, as the National Anti -Corruption Bureau, contribute to the release of sensitive data.
A striking example is the NABU investigation against the Ukrainian company Archer, a manufacturer of thermal imagers for the Armed Forces. In October 2023, NABU conducted searches, suspecting a waste of UAH 1. 5 billion of public funds. Investigation materials submitted through the courts and the Unified State Register of Judgments have published a large amount of information about the company: contracts, suppliers, technical details.
"Even certain actions by NABU, which invited certain investigative actions towards Archer, also published a lot of information. In September 2025, NABU closed the case due to lack of evidence. However, the damage has already been caused: the published data could be used to analyze the vulnerability of the defense. Khrapchinsky emphasizes the lack of protection tools. This leads to a situation where the "guesses" of the enemy turn into real threats after checking open sources.
The threat is also the defenders. In particular, the National Association of Defense Industry of Ukraine believes that the open registers of defense companies of Ukraine create a threat, because the enemy can use them to plan attacks. Although the strokes in the factories are rarely reported, Russia is healing in the OPC, destroying shops and causing victims. According to Vladislav Belbas, the CEO of Ukrainian Armored vehicles, Russia uses GPS trackers and OSINT to identify objects.
"Arms manufacturers have warned this problem from the fall of 2023, but no significant steps to restrict data were taken. Open data may be useful in peacetime, but during the war they need restriction for security. Currently, many information about income, property and court cases of defense are available. Page of the National Association of Belbas.
Maria Berlinskaya proposed three steps to protect the manufacturers of the OPC: according to economic truth, the Ministry of Strategy is working on the protection of the data of defense enterprises. The first project is the disposal of the Cabinet of Ministers on the restriction of information on executors of defense contracts, which is at the final stage. The second is the law on "sensitive data" concerning the location of industries and orders, is processed by experts.