Ukrainian Man Tracks Russian Troops Using AirPods Stolen From His Home During Invasion

A Ukrainian man is receiving global attention after being reported to have tracked Russian troops thanks to his AirPods, which he says were taken from his home during the early days of the country’s invasion.

Vitaliy Semenets, as first reported by London’s The Times, was able to follow the redeployment moves of Russian troops after the AirPods in question were stolen from his home in Hostomel. 

“Thanks to technology, I know where my AirPods is now. It was looted by russians orcs from my home in Gostomel,” Semenets said when sharing a tracking update to Instagram this month, notably tagging the official Apple account.

Using the company’s Find My feature, Semenets was eventually able to see those in possession of his AirPods had crossed into Belarus before later ending up in the Russian city of Belgorod. The city has been the subject of numerous updates amid the war, including in connection with the reported destruction of oil tanks in the area earlier this month.

Complex has reached out to Apple for comment. This story may be updated.

This isn’t the first instance of the Find My feature having made headlines. Last August, for example, regional Denver outlet KUSA reported on a man who was arrested after a sheriff’s deputy used the feature to locate him. Amid a traffic stop, the man in question is alleged to have driven through a security fence in an effort to flee the scene. Prior to this exit, however, a deputy had put his iPhone “on the rail of the truck’s bed,” ultimately leading to another deputy using the Find My app to locate both the phone and the eventual arrestee.