How Russian Singer SHAMAN Exposed Russian Military Positions in Occupied Kherson — a GEOINT Case by Molfar Intelligence Institute

What data and tools were needed to identify the location in this case?

• Video #1 — from SHAMAN’s VK group
• Video #2 — from the VK group “Подслушано в Торезе” (“Overheard in Torez”)
• Video #3 — from the VK group “Закон времени” (“Law of Time”)
• Video #4 — from the YouTube channel “Сегодня это Да! / Demo-Rolik”
• Video #5 — from the YouTube channel “Smolensk regional branch of SKVRiZ”
• Google Earth
• Google Maps

Analyzing the videos

Russian propagandist singers love to visit soldiers on the front lines in occupied territories; they absolutely must post about it — otherwise, what’s the point? On February 15, 2023, SHAMAN (Yaroslav Dronov) published a video in his Vkontakte (VK) group titled “SHAMAN visited mobilized soldiers in Kherson region.”

Who SHAMAN is — Molfar Intelligence Institute has already covered in a video. You can also read about his “artistic work” in our article.

This performance by Dronov was spread on social media. The “Law of Time” Vkontakte group published another video of SHAMAN’s performance, with the caption: “Singer SHAMAN arrived in Kherson region and performed at a military base before mobilized soldiers.” According to that post, Dronov visited the troops after his concert in the temporarily occupied town of Henichesk in the Kherson region.

Other videos appeared days later: on February 16, 2023 — in the VK group “Overheard in Torez,” and on February 19 — on the YouTube channel “Сегодня это Да! / Demo-Rolik.”

This information served as the basis for MII analysts to determine the location, as the videos and Dronov’s statements — all of which confirmed it was a Russian military base — made it an exciting subject for an OSINT algorithm case.

Connecting related events

Two weeks before SHAMAN’s performance video was published, on January 30, 2023, Russian media published an article stating that representatives of the “United Russia” party in the Kherson region had handed Russian soldiers mobilized from the Voronezh region a copy of the banner of Dmitry Pozharsky’s army (a Russian state and military figure of the 16th–17th centuries).

And on February 1, 2023, a corresponding video appeared on the YouTube channel “Smolensk regional branch of SKVRiZ.” The same building seen in Dronov’s video was visible in the footage.

Across all these videos, different objects appear — and these details helped identify the exact location of the Russian troops.

Finding coordinates using video information

Identifying auxiliary objects in the frame

In video #4 from the YouTube channel “Сегодня это Да! / Demo-Rolik,” a still frame shows a building near a road covered with camouflage netting (marked yellow, 1) and an intersection near the location (red, 2).

Details of the intersection are more precise in video #3 from the “Law of Time” VK group — a “Yield” sign indicates it’s an intersection of roads with different priority levels.

Nearby, there’s a directional sign showing a distance of about 50–100 m from the main road to the technical building. The secondary highway runs about 5 m from the soldiers’ position.

The same video (#4) shows portable toilets and UAZ military vehicles (highlighted in red), confirming that it’s a Russian military encampment.

Another angle reveals the wooden building in more detail.

This is the same one seen in video #5 (the flag transfer video) —along with an electrical transformer by a utility pole.

Between the flag transfer and SHAMAN’s performance, about two weeks passed — meaning the troops were stationed there for an extended period.

Key identifying features:

• Wooden building with a distinctive roof;
• Transformer next to a power pole;
• Building covered with camouflage netting opposite the wooden one.
• Intersection to the left of the camouflaged building;
• Uneven-road crossing (priority road).

Searching for the site on Google Maps

If we map these objects schematically, the setup looks like this:

Based on Dronov’s posts and the flag-transfer article, we know the location is in the occupied part of the Kherson region. Since SHAMAN had just performed in Henichesk, it made sense to search near that area — specifically at intersections of primary and secondary roads.

We remember: the main road to the structure is ~50–100 m away; the secondary road is ~5 m from it.
This stage requires patience, since the schematic must be carefully compared with road layouts around Henichesk.

Matching the objects with Google Maps imagery

About 20 minutes by car from Henichesk, there’s an intersection matching the description. A closer look at Google Earth imagery reveals both the crossroads and the building.

That structure matches the wooden building seen next to the power pole in SHAMAN’s performance video.

Nearby, Google Maps imagery also shows a distinctive service station building and a transformer by the power pole.

Opposite the larger building is a smaller one — apparently the one covered with camouflage netting in the SHAMAN video.

Following this algorithm, analysts identified the location of the Russian troops near the settlement of Rykove, close to Henichesk, Kherson region. The site is a former auto service station at the intersection of highways T2209 and E105. Coordinates: 46.310545419530364, 34.77782752782351

Two years have passed since SHAMAN’s video was published. According to 2024 satellite imagery, new structures have appeared at the site that were not there during Dronov’s performance for the soldiers.

And in images from October 2025, the area still appears to be used by the military.

In the video report, SHAMAN shares his impressions from visiting the occupiers, saying that no one had ever made a “salute in his honor” before — something he’ll “remember for life.” The Molfar Intelligence Institute’s analysts were also impressed by Dronov’s impromptu concert, as it turned out to be an excellent case for GEOINT analysis.