The Russian map service Yandex has deliberately concealed a missile battery near Kronstadt, close to St. Petersburg, on its satellite maps by overlaying forest imagery onto the military site. This camouflage contrasts with Western map services like Google, Apple, and Microsoft, where the missile battery remains visible. The concealment is likely a response to Ukrainian drone attacks. Military expert Marko Eklund notes that this effort is ineffective against Western and Ukrainian intelligence, which rely on their own satellite imagery rather than Yandex. The hidden site has previously housed Bastion coastal defense missiles along with radar and electronic intelligence equipment. The area experienced Ukrainian drone strikes in early June 2026. This type of image manipulation on Yandex is more sophisticated than previous blurring tactics but still shows artefacts of editing and is considered poorly executed. The concealment is thought to be due to Russian administrative orders restricting the publication of sensitive locations. Yandex did not respond to requests for comment. Similar blurring and concealment have been seen with other sensitive Russian military and infrastructure sites, notably since 2024 in response to drone attacks. Although Russia seeks to hide such locations, Western public satellite imagery remains a means to detect military assets. The concealment does not apply effectively to Finnish military sites, which are also partially obscured but often visible on Western maps, and Russian satellite capabilities lag behind Western ones.

The Russian map service Yandex has deliberately concealed a missile battery near Kronstadt, close to St. Petersburg, on its satellite maps by overlaying forest imagery onto the military site. This camouflage contrasts with Western map services like Google, Apple, and Microsoft, where the missile battery remains visible. The concealment is likely a response to Ukrainian drone attacks. Military expert Marko Eklund notes that this effort is ineffective against Western and Ukrainian intelligence, which rely on their own satellite imagery rather than Yandex. The hidden site has previously housed Bastion coastal defense missiles along with radar and electronic intelligence equipment. The area experienced Ukrainian drone strikes in early June 2026. This type of image manipulation on Yandex is more sophisticated than previous blurring tactics but still shows artefacts of editing and is considered poorly executed. The concealment is thought to be due to Russian administrative orders restricting the publication of sensitive locations. Yandex did not respond to requests for comment. Similar blurring and concealment have been seen with other sensitive Russian military and infrastructure sites, notably since 2024 in response to drone attacks. Although Russia seeks to hide such locations, Western public satellite imagery remains a means to detect military assets. The concealment does not apply effectively to Finnish military sites, which are also partially obscured but often visible on Western maps, and Russian satellite capabilities lag behind Western ones.