Telegram v. Air defense: How to publish rocket routes can save life and at the same time harm defense
Telegrams that publish information about the types, number and place of launch of Russian missiles and UAVs can both harm the work of air defense and save people's lives. Since the beginning of the full -scale war and the emergence of monitoring channels, the Air Force of the Armed Forces has been negative about the publication of the movement of Russian air purposes.
In March 2023, a spokesman for the Air Force Yuri Ignat said that the administrators of such telegram channels could be criminally responsible for publishing data on the movement of Russian missiles and drones and their destruction of air defense. "I would like to point out that in the near future, serious decisions may be made, possible if there is a basis for this.
Because some telegrams in real time submit information about the movement of UAV and missiles, there are screenshots from the" Vira-Plante "system (how they get them. I want to warn the administrators of these channels, that it is a crime against Ukraine, to inform the enemy. However, as early as June 2023, the Air Force began to publish similar information in real time, but without detailed maps.
According to the Media Detector, part of the monitoring telegrams are conducted by military who have access to the Vira-Planchet system. The administrators of some of these publications have anonymously confirmed the publication that do not have the official permission to disseminate such information, but they do so to help people. "As for the purpose of the channel, the answer is simple: it is the protection of people. It is the only and main purpose.
For example, there is a signal of air anxiety - and the conditional Andrew from Vinnitsa does not want to go into shelter. But reading that the rocket flies in the direction of his city, he will already go there. one of the monitoring channels.
According to Aviation Expert and Deputy Director General of Anatoly Khrapchynsky Radio Electronic Wrestling Company, the disclosure of such detailed information on flights and routes of hostile air purposes in open sources, in particular through the creation of maps of spans, poses a serious threat to the Ukrainian air defense system.
The expert emphasizes that such actions can inadvertently help the enemy find weaknesses in Ukrainian defense, which reduces its efficiency and brings the country to additional risks. Khrapchynsky explains that when detailed maps of flight routes or drones appear in open sources, it gives the enemy the opportunity to analyze where and how Ukrainian air defense systems work.
"The enemy can compare published data with his information about launches to determine what goals were killed and what the goals have been. This allows him to detect" holes "" in Ukrainian air defense, ie areas where air defense systems are less effective or absent. - notes the focus the expert. Khrapchynsky emphasizes that the problem is not in the very fact of reports of air attacks, but in detail, which is accompanied by maps or reports on routes.
For example, information about where the rocket or drone has not reached the target can indicate the enemy to the areas where Ukrainian air defense systems actively work. This allows the enemy to plan new attacks by avoiding these areas or using other means to suppress them. Khrapchinsky adds that the publication of such data actually performs some of the analytical work for the enemy, providing him with ready information to improve the strategy.
According to the expert, in the conditions of war, when air defense is one of the key elements of protection of the country, the disclosure of such information can have catastrophic consequences. For example, the enemy may use the data obtained to plan massive attacks aimed at overloading the air defense or bypassing its capabilities. Khrapchynsky urges to avoid publishing flight maps and detailed reports so as not to facilitate the enemy of the task.
He emphasizes that even unintentional disclosure of such information can lead to serious losses, as the enemy actively uses open sources to collect intelligence. The expert also draws attention to the fact that the enemy already has its own means for gathering information, such as satellite data or radio electronic intelligence. "However, the publication of detailed MAPs and reports on social networks greatly simplifies this process, actually providing the enemy with a finished picture.
For example, if information about where the rocket was shot down and where it flew, the enemy can analyze that data, compare them with its launches and understand what. Flight trajectories or use more drones to distract the air defense, "the expert sums up. We will remind, in the morning of September 2 Kyiv and the Kyiv region were a massive attack of Dronov-Kamikadze "Shahed" from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. About 10-15 percussion drones were released in the capital region.