← Feed

Posts

• View post

  We are aware of an individual using a UK number on Telegram and WhatsApp under the name “Antony Kevin” to seek assistance recruiting journalists and analysts working on Syria. They claim to work for Bellingcat, but do not. Please disregard requests from them and contact [contact@bellingcat.com].

• View post

  We're pleased to announce that Bellingcat has won three awards at the Online Journalism Awards. Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees listed here: https://awards.journalists.org/2026/10/02/congratulations-to-the-winners-of-the-2026-online-journalism-awards/ (1)

• View post

  Viral reports this week suggested new Google satellite imagery showed unseen destruction in Gaza. But the imagery actually depicts the scene in February 2026. Bellingcat has obtained satellite images from September that show how the destruction has continued. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/middle-east/2026/10/01/viral-google-maps-images-shared-widely-this-week-show-gaza-ruins-we-obtained-more-recent-satellite-imagery/?utm_source=mastodon

• View post

  How is AI changing investigations? On Thursday, investigative journalist @craigsilverman@mastodon.social will share how he’s using AI, including in his investigation of a North Korean hiring scam. We’ll explore what AI can uncover, where it falls short, and what it means for investigators. Join us live in Discord at 5pm CEST/11am EDT: https://discordapp.com/events/709752884257882135/1553048996295999599

• View post

  Today we're celebrating the two year anniversary of Bellingcat's Online Open Source Investigation Toolkit. The resource that helps you discover and use open source tools is maintained by a group of amazing volunteers. If you've not explored it yet, you can find it here: https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit You can directly support the development of the Bellingcat Toolkit by donating here: www.bellingcat.com/donate-bellingcat-toolkit

• View post

  Latest: Christy Kinahan, founder of the transnational organised crime group the Kinahan cartel, has had his UAE visa cancelled, Bellingcat and The Sunday Times can reveal. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/09/19/christy-kinahans-uae-residence-visa-cancelled/?utm_source=mastodon The visa was cancelled only weeks after the extradition of his eldest son Daniel Kinahan from Dubai to Ireland, where he is charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation. Christy and his two sons a...

• View post

  You don’t need to be a programmer to use code as an investigative tool. Bellingcat’s upcoming webinar will help researchers get started with the command line and AI coding assistants, using them for research, data analysis, visualisation and automation. https://www.bellingcat.com/workshops/command-line-ai-assisted-coding-webinar/

• View post

  It’s harvest season in Ukraine, but in the first two weeks of August, Ukrainian grain exports were down 75% from the same period last year. Russia’s military blockade has effectively cut off Ukrainian ports from the Black Sea.🧵

• View post

  We wanted to have an honest conversation about our newly launched membership programme. Our latest Stage Talk explores this funding model, from sustainability to editorial independence, as we discuss both the promise and the pitfalls. Search 'Stage Talks with Bellingcat' on your preferred podcast provider: https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/3044016/ Enjoyed listening on your favourite podcast platform? Want to support our work? You can become a Bellingcat member by following...

• View post

  Last month we published the 100th Bellingcat Challenge. To celebrate this milestone, we're launching a brand-new website! Check it out and put your skills to the test with our five newest challenges. https://challenge.bellingcat.com/

• View post

  A promotional image for a padel club in Dubai shows a talented player, mid-swing and eyes locked on the ball. He’s also a key figure in the Kinahan cartel, the Irish organised crime group involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and arms smuggling. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/06/27/poster-boy-sanctioned-kinahan-cartel-lieutenant-found-playing-padel-in-dubai//?utm_source=mastodon

• View post

  Today, Bellingcat launches its formal membership program. For over a decade, our investigations have contributed to international court rulings, identified state actors behind war crimes, and documented accountability failures on American streets. This work has always been free to access. That independence depends on individual supporters. If evidence-based accountability journalism matters to you, we'd be grateful for your support. https://www.bellingcat.com/donate/?utm_source=mastodon&...

• View post

  Extreme wildfire activity worldwide has more than doubled in the past 21 years. What tools can we use to track wildfires and report on the damage they leave behind? Find out in our latest guide: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2026/06/30/burning-forests-tools-for-tracking-and-reporting-wildfire-damage/?utm_source=mastodon

• View post

  When digital media is leaked or manipulated, it can be difficult to trace it back to its source. Today we're exploring how forensic watermarking is being developed to improve traceability and accountability in leaked intimate imagery. Join us live at 5pm CEST / 11am EDT: https://discord.gg/a9TVpY8R6?event=1521091627039592609

• View post

  More than 3,500 deaths are confirmed since the earthquakes in Venezuela, the UN reports that the death toll could reach 10,000. Bellingcat has geolocated footage that appears to show several coffins placed in newly dug trenches. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/07/06/between-graves-and-uncertainty-the-management-of-the-dead-after-venezuelas-earthquake/?utm_source=mastodon

• View post

  We’re back with a brand-new open source challenge! This month they were created by a guest contributor who has manipulated a series of images. Can you spot what has been edited? Try them here: https://challenge.bellingcat.com/

• View post

  Our Colombian partner, Cerosetenta, was ordered by a judge to remove a joint investigation we published with them about a political candidate and his alleged links to members of an international neo-Nazi group in Bogota. Cerosetenta will now challenge that decision. https://cerosetenta.uniandes.edu.co/cerosetenta-acudira-a-la-corte-constitucional-tras-fallo-de-juez-que-le-ordena-eliminar-investigacion-sobre-presuntos-vinculos-de-candidato-con-una-red-neonazi

• View post

  Bellingcat and The Press have uncovered a series of connections between a New Zealand-based man and the adult forum LeakedBB – a site with over 2.3 million registered users, including some who distributed leaked nude photos and videos. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/07/16/leakedbb-crypto-entrepreneur?utm_source=mastodon Users of the site openly discussed obtaining content through blackmail and shared social media profiles of those featured in the imagery. After we reached out to this ind...

• View post

  Wildfires have devastated parts of Europe this past week, particularly in France and Spain, where more than 330,000 people have been evacuated. With temperatures expected to rise again, the risk of further damage remains. Learn to track active fires with open sources: https://youtu.be/dmnfiOec0d8?si=z9LYYVKY4ggj-s0n

• View post

  Why are so many newsrooms embracing membership? This week's Stage Talk explores one of journalism's biggest shifts: why membership is replacing traditional funding models for many publishers, what it means for audiences, and why we're adopting it too. https://discord.gg/a9TVpY8R6?event=1531233742222266448

• View post

  As fighting intensifies in Mali between the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) – who are being backed by Russia’s Africa Corps insurgent groups – and rebel groups, Bellingcat has verified two recent strikes that used Shahed-136 type kamikaze drones. Video footage of the strikes provides the clearest open-source evidence to date documenting this drone model’s operational use in the conflict https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/07/24/shahed-type-drones-filmed-during-attack-on-mali-villages/?utm_source=ma...

• View post

  Open source tools can help track every stage of a wildfire, from the first reports through to assessing the damage once the flames are out. Throughout July, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service helped researchers monitor how wildfire smoke spread across Canada and the US. Want to see how these tools fit together? Our latest video shows how Bellingcat researchers use open source tools and data to reconstruct the timeline of a wildfire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmnfiOec0d8

• View post

  Bellingcat developed a new machine learning model to rank Telegram social media posts on their likelihood of containing incidents of civilian harm. Read our latest guide: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2026/06/25/how-to-use-ai-to-help-find-civilian-harm-conflict-report-monitor-war-machine-learning-telegram/?utm_source=mastodon

• View post

  An investigation by Bellingcat has identified yet another Russian-flagged bulk carrier, exporting grain from occupied Crimea to Libya. This adds Libya to the list of countries willing to accept what the Ukrainian government describes as “stolen” grain. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/06/12/shadow-fleet-russian-grain-stolen-ukraine-libya-ais-technique-grumant/?utm_source=mastodon

• View post

  Satellite imagery shows that at least 46 towns or villages in southern Lebanon have been heavily damaged or, in some cases, entirely flattened by the Israeli Defence Forces. Bellingcat is publishing Planet satellite imagery for the entirety of the south of Lebanon. It shows that much of the demolition and destruction has taken place in recent weeks. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/05/14/satellite-imagery-shows-ongoing-demolitions-across-southern-lebanon/?utm_source=mstdn

• View post

  Bellingcat and Cerosetenta have uncovered online links between the first South American branch of the far-right Active Club movement in Colombia and a mainstream political figure who ran in recent elections for the country's largest right-wing political party. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/05/11/active-club-colombia-politics/?utm_source=mastodon

• View post

  Our investigation continues on the oil spill off the coast of Tobago, with The Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, we can reveal that the tugboat "Solo Creed," which towed the sunken barge, belonged to a network of Panamanian companies accused of transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/03/03/tobago-oil-spill-tug-solo-creed-belonged-to-panamanian-firm/?utm_source=mastodon

• View post

  What can flight data tell us about deportation flights, and where are the limits of public information? On Thursday journalist and former flight attendant Gillian Brockell guides us through the aviation data, public records, and open-source techniques used to follow immigration operations in the skies. https://discord.gg/bellingcat?event=1502314212075110481

• View post

  Did you know there’s around 100 000 flights worldwide every day? Flight tracking can be a very useful tool for open source investigations. Want to learn how? Check out this month’s Bellingcat Open Source Challenge: challenge.bellingcat.com

• View post

  This November, Bellingcat hosted its first in-person Hackathon with over 45 participants at the University of Amsterdam. Learn more about the event and the incredible projects conceptualised over the 3 days…https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2023/11/29/here-are-the-results-of-bellingcats-first-in-person-hackathon/?utm_source=mstdn