A Ukrainian colonel has defended posting photos of his French bulldog sitting beside military maps after coming under fire for allegedly revealing troop positions online.
Valentin Manko, head of Ukraine’s Assault Forces Command, shared the images on social media earlier this week before quickly deleting them amid claims that classified battlefield details could be seen in the background.
One of the now-deleted photos showed Manko’s French bulldog perched on a desk with several maps spread out beside it. Another showed the dog sitting on top of a map in a control room.
Online users soon pointed out that some of the markings appeared to correspond with Ukrainian defensive lines and planned operations.
There have been conflicting reports about where the picture was originally posted, with some Ukrainian outlets saying it appeared on Manko’s Telegram channel, while others claimed it was shared on TikTok.
The image was swiftly removed from social media after sparking outrage.
Critics accused the senior officer of compromising operational security at a critical stage in the war.
A Ukrainian colonel has defended posting photos of his French bulldog sitting beside military maps after coming under fire for allegedly revealing troop positions online
One of the now-deleted photos showed Manko’s French bulldog perched on a desk with several maps spread out beside it. Another showed the dog sitting on top of a map in a control room
Manko insisted that no sensitive information had been exposed, saying the documents visible in the picture were ‘outdated training materials’ and not current battle maps
Leading drone supplier Serhii Sternenko wrote on Telegram that ‘publishing such photos can help the enemy’, while a Ukrainian activist group called InformNapalm speaks of a ‘TikTok addiction among officials with access to state secrets.’
InformNapalm described the post as ‘pure madness’, adding: ‘Enemy specialists are probably clapping their hands with joy.’
The post also triggered anger among military commentators and lawmakers – with some demanding his suspension pending an internal review.
Manko later insisted that no sensitive information had been exposed, saying the documents visible in the picture were ‘outdated training materials’ and not current battle maps.
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‘There was nothing secret there,’ he said, calling the backlash ‘an overreaction’.
Ukraine’s defence ministry has not confirmed whether an investigation has been opened, but officials are understood to be assessing whether any classified data was visible in the photos.
It comes as Ukraine carried out a massive drone strike on a Russian dam, leading to widespread flooding in the country’s southern Belgorod region which left Vladimir Putin’s soldiers stranded.
Russian authorities declared an emergency after the Belgorod reservoir dam was hit on Friday and Saturday, resulting in several of the country’s military units being cut off.
Footage shared on social media shows water gushing out of the damaged reservoir which reportedly caused major disruptions and left Russian troops stationed on the Ukrainian side of the border in Vovchansk stranded.
In other clips, debris can be seen scattered across the dam.
After the strike, water spilled into the Siverskyi Donets River, reportedly flooding Russian bunkers and trenches and complicating logistics for Moscow’s troops.
