TECH NEWS – Ukraine has been known for employing unconventional warfare tactics, but this strategy tops them all: using viral female profiles, a hacker group successfully exposed the exact locations of secret Russian bases.

It’s become unsurprising to see previously unseen technological and tactical methods employed in the war between Ukraine and Russia. Yet even in this extraordinary context, one strategy particularly stands out—the creation of fake female social media profiles.

At the conflict’s onset, the Financial Times reported that Russian soldiers, who concealed their bases in occupied Ukrainian cities, inadvertently disclosed their positions when a Ukrainian hacker group exploited their most basic instincts. By promising attractive female companionship, they sought to make soldiers’ frontline days more bearable, luring them into a digital trap.

When Ukraine Employed History’s Oldest Trick

The hacker group named Hackyourmom, led by Nikita Knysh, created fake female profiles using stolen or AI-generated images to attract Russian soldiers’ attention. These profiles soon began receiving messages from soldiers via social networks, dating apps, and Telegram.

During conversations, the fake profiles asked soldiers for photos, which allowed hackers to analyze geolocation data embedded in these images. Consequently, they pinpointed precisely where the photos had been sent from. This information was then shared with the Ukrainian military, effectively mapping the concentration points of Russian units.

While the official connection between hackers’ actions and Ukrainian military operations has never been explicitly confirmed, shortly after this operation commenced, Russian bases in the occupied city of Melitopol came under air attack. Whether directly or indirectly, it became clear that Ukraine had successfully identified secret Russian bases. It’s not hard to imagine the fake profile strategy playing a crucial role in this outcome.

Source: 3djuegos