Google denies Ukrainian reports it unblurred satellite Maps imagery in Russia

It has been said that it has opened access to Russia's military and strategic facilities by changing how it censors satellite imagery.

The official Ukrainian Ministry of Defence account has cited the account on several occasions, but the account is still unverified. Everyone can see a variety of Russian weapons with a resolution of about half a meter.

The English translation of the post has been shared thousands of times, and it has been cited by news organizations.

⚡️GOOGLE MAPS ВІДКРИВ ДОСТУП ДО ВІЙСЬКОВИХ ТА СТРАТЕГІЧНИХ ОБ’ЄКТІВ РОСІЇ.

Тепер кожен може побачити різноманітні російські пускові установки, шахти міжконтинентальних балістичних ракет, командні пункти та секретні полігони з роздільною здатністю близько до 0,5 метра на піксель. pic.twitter.com/i75wR8Efwo

— Armed Forces (@ArmedForcesUkr) April 18, 2022

At least one of the images from the tweet is available on the internet, and it shows an active Russian military site. We were able to see other bases in the country on the maps.

The company says this is not new. While the circulating images are likely legitimate, they were available on Google Maps long before.

It isn't unusual for Google to blur its maps of sensitive areas. The images of the French Air Force's air base 705 are shown in the maps. The US's Nellis Air Force Base and Area 51 are just two of the military installations that are publicly viewable.

The militaries of major countries have access to satellite imagery that isn't subject to any modifications from Google.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, there have been some actions taken by the internet giant. The company has stopped ad sales in the country, banned Russian state media accounts from running ads on their channels, and cut off access to Google Pay for some Russian users. The Russian government has threatened to fine the company because it has videos about the invasion.