Russian Defense Ministry again portrays Ukraine combat footage as “strikes on AFU in Kursk” despite partially blurred video exposing terrain

Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has once again released a video claiming to show Russian forces “striking a concentration of manpower and equipment” purportedly “in the border area of the Kursk Region.” However, the videos were actually recorded in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions of Ukraine — far from the claimed locations. Although the MoD blurred parts of the footage in an attempt to conceal where they were filmed, the open-source intelligence (OSINT) project EjShahid was still able to geolocate the areas by using reflections on the helicopter camera’s glass. The Insider was able to independently verify EjShahid’s observations.

One of the videos, published on August 23, was accompanied by a statement from the MoD claiming:

“The crew of the Su-34 multifunctional aviation complex of [Russia’s] Air and Space Forces carried out a strike on a concentration of manpower and armored vehicles of AFU [Armed Forces of Ukraine] units in the border area of the Kursk Region. The strike targeted reconnaissance camouflaged enemy positions using modernized aerial bombs with a universal planning and correction module. After receiving intelligence confirmation of the destruction of AFU personnel and armored vehicles, the crew returned to the airfield.”

In reality, as confirmed by EjShahid, the footage was shot over Maryanivka in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Region — 460 kilometers (285 miles) from the Kursk Region border.

On September 2, another video was released in which the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that “a formidable force of [Russia’s] army aviation is working in the sky.” The full description read:

“A formidable force of army aviation works in the sky. The crew of the Mi-28NM has launched airstrikes on a concentration of AFU manpower and armored vehicles in the border area of the Kursk Region. According to intelligence reports, the AFU personnel and armored vehicles were destroyed.”

As before, the MoD blurred the location, but EjShahid was once again able to identify the terrain through reflections in the helicopter camera’s glass. Based on the set of outlines, the channel’s analysts concluded that the footage was shot near the settlement of Khromove in Ukraine’s Donetsk Region — 390 kilometers (242 miles) from the Kursk Region border.

The Russian Defense Ministry frequently publishes videos claiming to showcase its alleged military successes in the Kursk area. In reality, these videos are often filmed long distances away, in locations such as Soledar and Chasiv Yar in Ukraine’s Donetsk Region, as well as in areas of fighting in the Luhansk Region. Initially, these clips did not have blurred locations, but Russia’s MoD now regularly blurs them — albeit with limited success.