Resistance Survival Guide #219

In wartime, information becomes a battlefield. Governments release carefully framed statements, state media amplifies narratives, and social media floods with rumors. For citizens trying to understand what is actually happening—especially during fast-moving conflicts—the most reliable approach is often open-source intelligence (OSINT). OSINT uses publicly available data such as satellite imagery, flight tracking, ship tracking, and geolocated videos to verify events independently of government messaging. Learning how to track conflict using OSINT tools allows ordinary people to separate propaganda from verifiable evidence.

Skill Level: 🟢 Beginner

Why This Matters

War coverage is often shaped by governments and military briefings. That doesn’t mean everything is false—but it does mean the public usually receives partial information. Independent analysts, journalists, and researchers increasingly use open-source data to verify military activity, track troop movements, and confirm strikes.

During recent conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere, OSINT communities used satellite imagery and geolocation to confirm events hours or days before official statements appeared. Investigative outlets like Bellingcat have demonstrated how open-source evidence can expose military operations, verify war crimes, and challenge government narratives.

The key lesson: you don’t have to rely on a single source of information.

What Is OSINT?

Open-source intelligence means analyzing publicly available data to understand real-world events. This can include:

Satellite imagery
Aircraft tracking
Ship tracking
Social media video verification
Public government records

These tools allow researchers to confirm whether planes actually flew, ships actually moved, or explosions actually occurred.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Track military aircraft activity

Start with ADS-B Exchange, a public aircraft tracking network that shows real-time aircraft positions using ADS-B signals transmitted by planes.

Visit: https://globe.adsbexchange.com

Look for:

Military aircraft patterns
Aerial refueling tankers
Reconnaissance planes

These often indicate active military operations.

2. Monitor global conflict maps

Use Liveuamap, which aggregates verified reports from journalists, local media, and official statements.

Visit: https://liveuamap.com

The map shows:

Airstrikes
troop movements
protests
military deployments

Click events to see source links.

3. Cross-check with satellite imagery

Use Google Earth or Sentinel Hub to examine locations where major incidents are reported.

Satellite data can reveal:

damaged buildings
burned areas
military infrastructure
troop staging areas

4. Verify viral videos

When videos appear online claiming to show strikes or attacks: Check if OSINT analysts or journalists have verified them. Groups like Bellingcat frequently publish geolocation analyses showing exactly where footage was filmed.

Key questions:

Does the landscape match the claimed location?
Are landmarks visible?
Do shadows and weather match the reported time?

5. Follow independent OSINT communities

Many researchers publicly share findings in real time. Platforms like Bluesky and X host analysts who track conflicts using satellite and flight data.

Look for accounts that:

show evidence
link original sources
explain how verification works

Avoid accounts that only post dramatic claims.

Example

During recent Middle East escalation, analysts tracked large numbers of U.S. aerial refueling tankers crossing the Atlantic using ADS-B Exchange before official announcements confirmed expanded military deployments. The aircraft movements provided early evidence that major operations were underway. This is exactly how open-source intelligence works: observable data reveals patterns before governments explain them.

Required Reading

If you want to go deeper into OSINT verification methods, these guides explain how researchers investigate conflicts using open data:

These resources explain how journalists and investigators verify events using publicly available information.

Conclusion

Information is power. In moments of crisis or war, the ability to verify claims independently becomes a form of civic resilience. OSINT tools allow ordinary citizens to watch the same signals that analysts and journalists watch: aircraft movements, satellite images, and verified reports from the ground. The goal isn’t to become a spy. It’s much simpler than that. It’s to stop being easy to fool.