The June picture challenge invited readers to step into the role of an enemy OSINT scout and find answers to two questions:
Where was the article photo taken, or in other words, where was the unit mentioned in the story located at the time the photo was taken?
What other facts can you find about the unit that took part in the exercise?
Correct answer
The photo was taken on the steps of Jägala Manor. The coordinates of the location are 59°25’01.1″N 25°14’16.5″E.
In addition to the location where the photo was taken, the image also reveals information about the size of the unit: at least 28 names, which means a platoon. It also provides details about their equipment: the LMT 20 Rahe assault rifle with a red dot sight, and the Rahe L precision version with an optical sight.
From the article itself, we learn that the unit of the Headquarters and Signal Battalion, which includes Private Olev Kork, went shooting at the Klooga training area, and that the assembly point for the exercise was the Headquarters and Signal Battalion territory on Filtri Road.
Participant K.A. noticed the sleeve emblem in the photo and concluded that the platoon belongs under the Cyber Command. Combined with the weaponry, this makes it likely that the unit is part of the Headquarters and Logistics Company.
Participant K.T. noticed a drone reflected in the glass of the veranda, suggested that the model was a Mavic 3, and concluded that the unit had a drone available for observation but most likely not an attack drone.
How the solution was found
As usual, there may be several ways to reach the answer. Propastop approached it like this.
First, we ran a reverse image search, but it produced no result.
Then we asked artificial intelligence to find the answer. It suggested all kinds of real and imaginary buildings across the Baltics, but failed to find the correct one.
Finally, we read the article carefully. For those for whom the Estonian-language story is behind a paywall, the same information is freely available through Postimees’s Russian-language article.
We learned that the unit had been training in Klooga.
We then asked AI to search for Defence Forces bases and sites in northern Estonia, especially in Harju County. After Ämari Air Base and the Mine Harbour, Gemini listed Jägala barracks as the third option.
We checked the suggested results through web searches, including Jägala barracks.
We found a visual match with Jägala Manor, showing the same steps and veranda as in the target photo. Google Street View does not show images of the manor, probably because they have been removed at the request of the Defence Forces, but images of the manor can still be found online.
The lesson
An enemy intelligence gatherer can draw important conclusions from ordinary texts and images published in the media, even when the image itself appears relatively harmless and lacking in facts. That is why it is very important to avoid sharing such material during exercises or real combat situations.
Want to solve more? You can find previous similar tasks by searching for the keyword “Picture game” or in the section of the same name.
