7 Practical OSINT Lessons from the Ukraine War

How Open-Source Intelligence Is Applied in Modern Warfare—and What Investigators Can Learn

The war in Ukraine has marked a turning point for open-source intelligence (OSINT). What was once seen as a supplementary or less trusted discipline within military intelligence has rapidly evolved into a critical component of the modern information environment. Driven by unprecedented volumes, OSINT has proven its value in providing early indicators of military activity, supporting both strategic planning and operational decision-making when integrated with other intelligence streams. It enables analysts to monitor events in near real time and extends beyond the battlefield, empowering journalists and investigators to shape public understanding, document conflict, and support the attribution of war crimes. 

At the same time, this shift has introduced new challenges. Analysts must navigate information overload, counter manipulation, and manage cognitive bias in an increasingly complex landscape. Drawing on lessons from the Ukraine war, this paper distills seven practical lessons, each paired with a clear takeaway, to help military analysts apply OSINT more effectively in their work.

Table of Contents

• The First Digitally Transparent War
• Lesson 1: Social Media Serves as the War’s Information Hub and Digital Battlefield
• Download the Whitepaper

The First Digitally Transparent War

Modern conflicts now unfold across both physical and digital battlespaces. The war in Ukraine has generated an unprecedented volume of publicly and commercially available information, from social media and messaging platforms to satellite imagery and crowdsourced reporting. At the same time, the rise of advanced OSINT platforms has made this data more accessible and actionable, enabling analysts to produce near-real-time threat assessments across government, commercial, and independent communities. 

This constant flow of information has created a new reality. Battlespaces are persistently observed, but information moves faster than it can be verified. Narratives spread as quickly as facts, forcing analysts to operate in a contested environment where data is both an advantage and a vulnerability. 

As a result, OSINT is shifting from a supporting role to a foundational layer of intelligence. However, this evolution brings new challenges, including information overload, manipulation, and cognitive bias. To remain effective, analysts must adopt new tradecraft by moving from collection-centric models to validation-centric workflows, from linear analysis to iterative synthesis, and from isolated work to networked collaboration. 

Lesson 1: Social Media Serves as the War’s Information Hub and Digital Battlefield

Social media platforms have become critical sources of open-source information in modern conflicts. During the war in Ukraine, soldiers, civilians, journalists, and military bloggers continuously shared images, videos, and commentary from the battlefield. In some cases, units such as the Kadyrovtsy revealed their own locations through posts on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, enabling analysts to geolocate and track their movements, even if the extent of direct operational use remains unclear. 

Platforms like Telegram and VKontakte generated particularly large volumes of data. Telegram emerged as a central hub due to its channel structure and limited moderation, while VKontakte supported recruitment, propaganda, and also exposed geotagged information useful for identifying troop positions and logistics. Other platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and X contributed additional streams of high-resolution footage and analytical insights. 

Together, these platforms act as a distributed sensor network, producing vast amounts of real-time information on battlefield activity. 

Tips 

Best practices for collecting, analyzing, and verifying social media begin with treating it as a structured intelligence discipline rather than an informal or retrospective source. OSINT collectors, collection managers, and analysts should work together to define priority platforms, channels, hashtags, and accounts as formal collection requirements, supported by continuous monitoring instead of ad hoc searches. If you want to find out more about best practices for analyzing and verifying social media, download our whitepaper. 

Download the Whitepaper

This whitepaper distills seven practical lessons from the Ukraine war on how OSINT is used in hybrid warfare. It goes beyond highlighting successes and instead provides best practices to help analysts overcome key analytical and verification challenges. 

What’s included: 

• Why the Ukraine war is the first digitally transparent conflict  
• What effective intelligence analysis looks like in the modern era  
• Seven key lessons from the war  
• How analysts should integrate OSINT into their workflows 

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Enjoy exploring the resource!