A Ukrainian man has been secretly following the movements of Russian troops — by using Apple’s device tracking feature to pinpoint his stolen AirPods.
Vitaliy Semenets said his Bluetooth earbuds were swiped from his home in Hostomel, about 17 miles northwest of Kyiv, early during Russia’s invasion, according to the Times of London.
He soon realized that he could use Apple’s “Find My” feature to trace the looted devices, allowing him to trace their path as invading forces retreated from the apparent initial plan of storming the capital.
He tracked his stolen earbuds as they crossed the border into Belarus, and then when they reached Belgorod, the Russian city where troops have massed to prepare for the assault on the Donbas, the UK Times said.
Semenets shared his sneaky trick on Instagram, tagging Apple.
“Thanks to technology, I know where my AirPods [are] now,” he wrote alongside a map of their location.
He said they were “looted” by Russian “orcs,” the fictional “The Lord of the Rings” monsters whose name many Ukrainians use to describe warmongering Russian forces.
His post quickly racked up more than 28,000 likes, with one commenter writing, “@apple please get him replacement airpods.”
A map depicting Russian troop movements during the invasion of Ukraine. 
A large Ukrainian transport that was destroyed at the Gostomel airfield near Kyiv.Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press 
Relatives of a civilian man exhumed from his yard react in Gostomel village, Kyiv region, on April 12, 2022. FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images 
Vitaliy Semenets used the “Find My” feature available on Apple products to follow the progress of the stolen AirPods.Facebook / Vitaliy Semenets 
A damaged Ukrainian transport plane after a battle. EPA/OLEKSANDR RATUSHNIAK
CONTENT WARNING:
A priest and relatives react near the exhumed body of Gostomel’s mayor Yuriy Prylypko, who was buried near a church in Gostomel village, Kyiv region, on April 12, 2022.FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images 
A hangar with a damaged Ukrainian transport plane after a heavy battle at the Gostomel airfield.EPA/OLEKSANDR RATUSHNIAK 
The man tracked his stolen earbuds as they crossed the border into Belarus, and then when they reached Belgorod, the Russian city where troops have massed to prepare for the assault on the Donbas.AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov
Social media has played a key role for Ukraine during the war, with others using apps to help share photos of troops’ movements. President Volodymyr Zelensky has also used it to give his citizens — and the world — regular updates and appeals for international assistance.