Bellingcat

Bellingcat , 10 days ago to random

How do you monitor live events in real time, know what to look or listen out for and archive before it disappears? OSINT researcher Aram Shabanian joins us tomorrow to break down his favourite public tools for tracking natural disasters and civil emergencies:
https://discord.gg/XDvTb8v8?event=1475541963477487847

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Bellingcat , 1 month ago to random

Grok users prompted the AI chatbot to identify victims from redacted Epstein Files images. Of 31 requests reviewed, Grok generated images for 27, spanning 18 images and one video. X did not respond to requests for comment on Grok's behaviour by time of publication. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dhD8OKxZBpk

Bellingcat , 1 month ago to random

US-made munitions have played a significant role in Israeli operations in Gaza. Bellingcat has collated scores of incidents where the remnants of US-made munitions have been found in the aftermath of Israeli strikes over two years of war in Gaza. This dataset, while only identifying a small fraction of the US weaponry that has been deployed by Israel during this period, provides new insight into a number of deadly strikes where significant civilian harm was recorded. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01/30/made-in-the-usa-how-american-built-weapons-have-wrought-destruction-in-gaza/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 1 month ago to random

Our Digital Hate and Harms Team has just released a new microsite to document and share information about symbols used by hate groups from around the world. https://monitoring-glossary.bellingcat.com/

Bellingcat , 1 month ago to random

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, on January 24. DHS claims he died after an armed struggle, but videos of the incident appears to contradict that claim. Read our analysis here: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01/25/alex-pretti-analysing-footage-of-minneapolis-cbp-shooting/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 1 month ago to random

Just hours after Renee Good was shot, one member of Customs and Border Patrol’s elite tactical team on an adjacent street fired a less-lethal weapon five times in less than five minutes with four shots aimed at the faces of protestors. Bellingcat and Evident Media investigate this action by agent EZ17, in the presence of Commander Gregory Bovino, that appears to violate policy and risks injury or death.
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01/16/border-patrol-minneapolis/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 2 months ago to random

War doesn’t just destroy buildings—it erases places where children learn, play, and grow. Bellingcat and journalists from Agence France-Presse bureaus in Paris and Kyiv take a look at some of the lost spaces of youth in Ukraine, analysing open source data and speaking to young people growing up in the country. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/12/17/how-russias-invasion-is-impacting-ukraines-youth/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 2 months ago to random

An investigation by Bellingcat and Lloyd’s List found that Saudi Arabia joined the countries importing grain directly from a sanctioned port in occupied Crimea. Meanwhile Russia attempts to secure recognition of the Ukrainian territory via a US-led peace plan. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/12/12/russia-ukraine-saudi-arabia-import-smuggled-grain-shadow-fleet-peace-deal-trump-occupied-crimea-petrokhleb-kuban/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 2 months ago to random

How do investigators turn raw trade data into real stories?
Bellingcat’s Katherine de Tolly uncovers hidden supply chains, red flags in import-export records, and key pitfalls in trade-data investigations.
Search 'Stage Talks with Bellingcat' on podcast platforms: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/2376416

Bellingcat , 3 months ago to random

Streets have been renamed, Ukrainian monuments removed, and murals painted over. Bellingcat investigates how apartment blocks in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol have been demolished to make way for a new Russian suburban utopia… https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2025/11/14/building-on-ruins-the-russification-of-mariupol-one-apartment-block-at-a-time/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 4 months ago to random

Children tear-gassed. Teenagers tackled to the ground. Bellingcat analysed footage of clashes between federal officers and civilians after a judge issued a restraining order on crowd-control tactics in Illinois: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10/31/illinois-immigration-protests/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 4 months ago to random

Another Russian ship has been added to the grain smuggling fleet, captured on camera and on satellite imagery, evading sanctions to deliver grain from occupied Crimea to Houthi-controlled Yemen. Follow its covert journey here: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10/23/russias-grain-smuggling-fleet-continues-undeterred/?utm_source=mstdn

Bellingcat , 4 months ago to random

From opposing Putin to raising funds for a neo-Nazi paramilitary group, this is the digital footprint of one Russian man with a shifting political ideology. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/10/21/how-a-former-political-hopeful-helps-russian-neo-nazi-group-rusich-sell-its-online-merch/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 5 months ago to random

Our new and improved Bellingcat Toolkit is one-year-old today! If you haven't used it yet its a one-stop shop for discovering useful open source tools, maintained by an amazing group of volunteers. You can find use cases, guidance and honest reviews for each tool. https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit

Bellingcat , 5 months ago to random

Recently Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins appeared on the Democracy For Sale podcast highlighting how our information ecosystem is breaking and discussing what steps we could take to rebuild it: https://youtu.be/ZPSvAS2W3cc?feature=shared

Bellingcat , 6 months ago to random

We thought it was time we introduced ourselves...
From a global crisis to an underreported event, we find the facts using publicly available resources. From documenting human rights abuses to tracking environmental damage, our investigations focus on issues that affect communities worldwide. By detailing our methods, we invite you to explore, replicate, and contribute to investigations. Find out more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyQyHt4LNKM

Bellingcat , 7 months ago to random

Multiple photos and videos show members of self-described cow protection groups chasing, shooting at and beating up truck drivers they claim are “smuggling” cows for slaughter. Bellingcat and Alt News look into those leading these groups into violent action... https://youtu.be/DEAT18WhK3I?feature=shared

Bellingcat , 7 months ago to random

On Friday, a federal judge in LA granted a temporary restraining order against immigration raids in Southern California. https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/07/la-immigration-restraining-order/

Join us this Thursday as we discuss how to monitor immigration raids using open sources, with Bellingcat's Kolina Koltai alongside Sergio Olmos of @CALMatters and Kevin Clancy of Evident Media, as the U.S. population prepares for another wave of arrests. https://discord.gg/uQUGhUHk?event=1394292393557360722

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Bellingcat , 7 months ago to random

Working with our partners Evident and @CALMatters we have monitored the LA raids, discovering recurring trends and tactics used by officers.
Footage collected is of more than 100 arrests and shows agents from the likes of Border Patrol (BP) and, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arresting people in public spaces, from car washes to swap meets, with officers often obscuring their identities and sometimes using significant force. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/07/08/masked-armed-and-forceful-finding-patterns-in-los-angeles-immigration-raids/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 8 months ago to random

Ever discovered data that just isn't collected but should be? On Thursday we'll be talking with Cecília Olliveira about Fogocruzado , a group mapping shootings in Brazilian cities. Fogocruzado is currently one of the largest databases on armed violence in Latin America, and their API is free to access. We'll be discussing how the project got started, collection obstacles and data trends, join us live to ask your questions in our Discord Server at: https://discord.gg/6W2Dcdrq?event=1384146416011710535

Bellingcat , 10 months ago to random

We're overjoyed to see our documentary produced in partnership with the Evident media team “In Real Life: A Hidden War,” has been nominated for two News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The film explores land changes during the conflict in Gaza, highlighting the level of demolition in the Gaza strip and the ongoing expansion of West Bank settlements, using on the ground reporting and satellite analysis.

Bellingcat , 10 months ago to random

We're overjoyed to find our work on migration, as part of a consortium effort, has won the Tom Renner Award for Outstanding Crime Reporting (Investigative Reporters and Editors) . https://www.ire.org/announcing-the-2024-ire-award-winners-and-finalists/

Bellingcat , 11 months ago to random

We're hiring! Bellingcat is looking for an Open Source Investigator and Trainer to join our Human Rights and Conflict Monitoring team. Read more about the role and apply here. https://www.bellingcat.com/bellingcat-is-hiring-open-source-investigator-and-trainer-conflict/

Bellingcat , 1 year ago to random

In our latest investigation, Bellingcat identifies the former Wagner fighter and admin of an racist Telegram group behind a Russian fashion brand that sells clothing items glorifying far-right ideology and the Russian mercenary group Wagner. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/03/06/unmasking-maskov-how-bellingcat-found-a-man-outfitting-russian-neo-nazis/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 1 year ago to random

The downing of flight MH17 in 2014 inspired a movement of online researchers to search for answers... Now, you can see how the Bellingcat team helped uncover those answers in a new three-part documentary series on National Geographic.

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Bellingcat , 1 year ago to random

In our latest guide, Bellingcat contributor Wim Zwijnenburg explains how to use open source earth observation tools to detect and monitor oil spills. https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2024/08/30/marine-oil-spill-detection-guide/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat , 1 year ago to random

Violent riots by groups associated with far-right networks have erupted in the UK. Social media videos of groups setting fire to hotels, police vans and breaking into shops are everywhere. It’s important to archive this material so it doesn’t disappear. Here's how to do that… 🧵

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Bellingcat , 1 year ago to random

In our latest documentary, Bellingcat and @scrippsnews used satellite imagery and open source videos and photos to identify dozens of cultural heritage and religious sites that have either been damaged or destroyed in Gaza. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/06/26/gaza-israel-destroy-destruction-damage-cultural-history-heritage-archaeology-conflict-war/

Bellingcat , 1 year ago to random

This week's Stage Talk with OSINT analyst Sofia Santos ( @gralhix ) focused on getting you started in open source research. Full of tips and advice for beginner researchers, find it on any major podcast provider under 'Stage Talks with Bellingcat' or on our SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/MvXkWLUyLnSNyYc16

Bellingcat , 1 year ago to random

New: Bellingcat and @scrippsnews followed one IDF battalion’s movements across Gaza, geolocating their social posts to highlight IDF involvement in systematic destruction of Palestinian land and livelihoods: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/04/29/weve-become-addicted-to-explosions-the-idf-unit-responsible-for-demolishing-homes-across-gaza/?utm_source=mstdn