Ukraine launched a deadly missile strike at a vocational school used by Russian barracks on New Year’s Eve, likely after the soldiers’ location was tracked using cellphone signals.
– Ukrainian military intelligence became interested in a place that had previously been quiet and now suddenly full of mobile phone traffic, describes the cyber security expert, working life professor Martti J. Kari from the University of Jyväskylä.
According to Kari, the attack that killed even hundreds of soldiers was possible largely because of the stupidity and stupidity of the Russians.
– They constantly make mistakes, Kari tells .
The administration of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine has already put the blame on the regular soldiers and stated that the reason is the soldiers’ cellphone communication.
Former intelligence chief of the Defense Forces Harri-Ohra-aho considers it a basic mistake that the use of mobile phones by soldiers was not clearly instructed and monitored.
– Soldiers have called home or their loved ones, in practice they have become death calls, says Ohra-aho.
The communications department of the Ukrainian army initially spoke of up to 400 casualties. Russia has exceptionally admitted a large number of victims.
However, so far it has talked about “only” 63 victims. It is still the biggest single defeat recognized by Russia.
The strikes were made with American Himars rocket launchers.
Russia’s withdrawal is related to the fact that the attack has aroused unusually great anger and sadness in Russia, because it was carried out on the most important holiday for Russians, the New Year.
Several of the dead were apparently recent recruits and from the Volga region of Saratov and Samara.
Three errors allowed for a devastating blow
According to Finnish experts, Russia also made a mistake in that a large number of soldiers were stationed in the same place. Up to 600 soldiers were housed in the premises of the former vocational school.
– The troops, even if they are in reserve, must always be dispersed, says Ohra-aho.
The magnitude of the destruction and the number of victims is also explained by the fact that a large amount of ammunition was stored in the building, which exploded in the impact.
– Russia’s communication during the war can be described as arrogant. It leads to underestimating the opponent. That attitude also affects the troops, says Ohra-aho.
Ukraine uses cell phone data in its intelligence
As the war has progressed, Ukrainian intelligence has developed, and it uses mobile phone traffic in particular.
Ukraine has previously been able to destroy, for example, the base of the mercenary army Wagner.
– The soldiers put a picture on Twitter that revealed the street address of the place, reminds Martti J. Kari.
The phone also revealed the locations of military bases elsewhere
Various smartphone applications have previously revealed sensitive information about the locations of military bases and soldiers around the world, says the British newspaper The Guardian (you will switch to another service).
For example, fitness applications downloaded to the phone can tell in great detail about a person’s movements and thus reveal, for example, the location of a secret base.
One map application can display more than three billion individual GPS data points. It can be used to find out if there is an unusual amount of people moving in remote or exceptional areas.
For example, foreign soldiers using various applications in Afghanistan and Syria have revealed bases.
During the war, the location of troops advancing in Afghanistan’s Helmand province could be clearly distinguished on a map, even though the base itself was not visible on satellite images from commercial service providers such as Google Maps.
In Finland, mobile phones are not even used in training
In Finland, recruits are given instructions on photography and the use of location information on the phone as soon as they start their military service.
– Filming in a military area is always prohibited without special permission, says the defense forces.
The use of your own mobile phones, tablets or other mobile devices is allowed during free time, but even then special instructions have been given regarding the use of the devices and charging the batteries.
According to the instructions of the Defense Forces, permission to use mobile phones and other devices is given by the troop trainer. Operational and service safety must not be compromised under any circumstances.
In the exercises, the main rule is that mobile phones are not used.