Open-source intelligence comes of age for near real-time coverage of Russia-Ukraine war

OSINT, or open-source intelligence, is the collection and analysis of data gathered from open sources (overt and publicly available sources) to produce actionable intelligence.

In December 2021, an open-source intelligence (OSINT) handle called the Coupsure chanced upon some TikTok videos of Russian equipment moving near the town of Klintsy. It is a town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. The account soon searched for Russian bases near the area using special OSINT tools and then identified a military base there. Then it used old satellite images to compare them with the latest ones to capture any possible troop movement.

And voila! Coupsure was one of the very few who spotted the start of the Russian invasion, months ago. That's how OSINT works.

Gone are the days when people were solely dependent on journalists or on-ground reporters and the governments on spies and HUMINT to obtain intelligence and updates. Open-source intelligence has become a repertoire of sorts for journalists, news corporations and governments, becoming embedded as part of conflict reporting and intelligence gathering.

For those unaware, OSINT, or open-source intelligence, is the collection and analysis of data gathered from open sources (overt and publicly available sources) to produce actionable intelligence. While there is data and information that is publicly available, only a select fraction of the public are aware of the means by which such information can be harvested and employed to draw meaningful conclusions.

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This time around, OSINT has also included social media data from platforms like TikTok and YouTube that basically consists of real-time updates shared by Russian and Ukrainian citizens on troop movements and military shelling.

Meet the top-of-the-line OSINT analysts and accounts: