A Russian blogger exposed the location of an air defense unit in Crimea. A GEOINT case and search algorithm
16.02.2026
A license plate, a shop sign or GPS tags may seem like the most obvious clues when trying to identify a location. But for GEOINT analysts, much subtler details are often enough: roof shadows, hangars, road signs or utility poles. Using these small visual cues, analysts at Molfar Intelligence Institute were able to pinpoint the location of a Russian air defense unit in occupied Crimea. The starting point was a video published in 2023 by Russian blogger Sergei Kirstar. In this case study, we break down the search process step by step and explain what details matter most when conducting geolocation research.
Who Is Sergei Kirstar?
Sergei Kirstar is the pseudonym of Sergey Olegovich Kirkorov. On his VK page, he lists himself as Deputy Director of Regional Broadcasting at Russia 1 — a state TV channel that is under sanctions in the EU, the US, Canada and Ukraine for spreading propaganda that supports violence and war.
Screenshot from a YouTube video. Sergei Kirstar (Sergei Kirkorov)
Screenshot from Sergei Kirstar’s VK page, showing him describing himself as Deputy Director of Regional Broadcasting at Russia 1
On his Telegram channel, Главная редакция пропаганды 🇷🇺 (ОСТАНКИНО LIVE) Z (“Main Editorial Office of Propaganda 🇷🇺 (Ostankino Live) Z”), Sergei regularly posts anti-European and anti-Ukrainian content.
Screenshot from the Telegram channel Главная редакция пропаганды 🇷🇺 (ОСТАНКИНО LIVE) Z, showing a post with negative comments about French President Emmanuel Macron
Screenshot from the Telegram channel “Главная редакция пропаганды 🇷🇺 (ОСТАНКИНО LIVE) Z,” showing negative comments about Ukraine and references to the energy situation there
Sergei also runs a YouTube channel called “KIRSTAR,” where he shares videos from his trips to Crimea. One of those videos ultimately revealed the location of a Russian air defense unit.
Sergei Kirstar’s YouTube channel
Two videos by Sergei Kirstar
In November 2023, Sergei Kirstar posted a video on his VK page, saying he had visited soldiers “thanks to whom Crimea can sleep peacefully.” The video shows an air defense unit, with soldiers in masks and some informational boards in the background.
Russian soldiers in Sergei Kirstar’s video
A few days later, he posted a longer, more detailed video (about 25 minutes) covering his trip. He mentions delivering camouflage nets and first-aid kits to the soldiers. While filming, he captures the road, a monument, a bus stop, road signs, a gas station, and hangars. At first glance, these might seem like ordinary details, but they later helped analysts at Molfar Intelligence Institute retrace his route and locate the air defense unit in Crimea.
Details in the video
01:19 — a tank monument. On the right — a gas station.
02:57 — a bus stop “Central District Hospital.”
3:31 — note the buildings on the right side of the road that look like greenhouses.
06:25 — bus stop in the village of Lobanovo. Nearby is the “Airplane” monument.
At this stage, GEOINT analysts pay attention to every possible clue — even details that seem insignificant at first can prove useful.
Location cues might include:
- the shape of buildings;
- the presence or absence of windows;
- the type of roof;
- shadows cast by nearby objects (even if those objects are off-camera);
- a specific combination of objects that together are unique to one place.
Location layout
The analyst’s task is to figure out which buildings appear in the video and where they are. Essentially, they need to create a map of the site using only minimal information.
This is likely the territory of a farm
The screenshot shows distinctive long buildings that look like hangars. Their roofs help narrow down the search area.
Next to the farm is the deployment site of the Russian air defense unit
At the entrance, there are trenches and a metal anti-tank barrier, indicating restricted access for outsiders. Inside the site, military equipment, garages, and an abandoned industrial building are visible, which could be used to store vehicles.
We indicate these objects on the schematic map.
Approximate layout of the buildings near the Russian air defense unit’s base
Identifying the location of the Russian air defense unit’s base
Once the schematic layout is ready, we take a closer look at the objects shown in Sergei Kirstar’s video.
Using these data points, we can determine the car’s direction of travel.
Identifying the Location of the Russian Air Defense Unit
Red marks the key locations filmed, green shows the direction of Sergei Kirstar’s car, and blue indicates the likely location of the air defense unit, whose satellite images were analyzed first.
Verifying the location of the Russian air defense unit
The next step is to compare the Google Earth Pro satellite images with the schematic layout we created earlier.
Match found with our schematic of the Russian air defense unit’s base.
In the Google Earth Pro image, we can see buildings with green roofs (highlighted in orange) that match our schematic. They are located in the village of Botanichne, Rozdolne District, Crimea.
Next, we look again at the distinctive objects.
Screenshot from the video. Distinctive objects at the Russian air defense unit’s location.
The satellite image of the likely location confirms that this is where the video was filmed.
The Google Earth Pro satellite image shows the same structures:
- several power poles and a transformer (their shadows are visible in the image);
- a hangar with a green roof and circular structures nearby;
- another hangar with a green roof;
- a hangar with an attached extension.
Next, we analyze the buildings located directly at the air defense unit’s deployment site.
Screenshot from the video. Distinctive objects at the Russian air defense unit’s location.
Google Earth Pro satellite image showing the filming location (red circle) and the objects visible in the previous screenshot.
Both images show the same features:
- a hangar with a green roof and an extension;
- a nearby hangar with a distinctive add-on structure;
- another hangar;
- garages;
- an abandoned industrial building.
Another screenshot provides further confirmation that this location is indeed a Russian military base.
The screenshot shows:
- vehicles used by Russian military personnel parked near the hangar and garages;
- a metal anti-vehicle barrier;
- trenches in front of the entrance to the site.
In one part of the video, the soldiers also show a small building they use as a bathhouse. It is a distinctive standalone structure, separate from the other buildings.
Distinctive structure at the site, used by the Russians as a bathhouse.
Satellite image. Location of the bathhouse (coordinates: 45.79166088307518, 33.54803183339538).
This is how analysts at Molfar Intelligence Institute confirmed the location of the Russian air-defense unit’s base. They verified it using Google Maps and Google Earth Pro — simple, free tools anyone can use.
In the end, ordinary civilian infrastructure and a careless post by Sergei Kirstar (who calls himself Deputy Director of Regional Broadcasting at Russia 1) gave the unit away. It only took paying close attention to the details.
