{{Short description|Citizen journalism web site}} {{Infobox website | name = InformNapalm | logo = InformNapalm logo.png | logo_size = 300px | collapsible = | caption = | url = {{URL|informnapalm.org/en|InformNapalm.org}} | commercial = No | type = | registration = | num_users = | content_license = Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)<ref name="informnapalm.rocks">{{Cite web |title=International Volunteer Community InformNapalm |url=http://informnapalm.rocks/ |access-date=2023-05-29 |website=informnapalm.rocks}}</ref> | owner = NGO | author = Roman Burko, Irakli Komaxidze<ref name="informnapalm.rocks"/> | launch_date = {{nowrap|{{start date and age|2014|03|29}}}}<ref>{{Cite web | title=WhoIs Lookup {{!}} Name.com | url=https://www.name.com/whois-lookup/informnapalm.org | access-date=2026-01-10 | website=www.name.com}}</ref> | current_status = Online | footnotes = InformNapalm in Wikimedia Commons }}
'''InformNapalm''' is a volunteer<ref>{{Cite web|last=network|first=Dmitry Volchek and Claire Bigg for RFE/RL, part of the New East|date=2015-06-03|title=Ukrainian bloggers use social media to track Russian soldiers fighting in east|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/03/bloggers-social-media-russian-soldiers-fighting-in-ukraine|access-date=2021-04-02|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2014-12-20|title=Ukraine conflict: Hackers take sides in virtual war|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30453069|access-date=2021-04-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Digital Investigators Try To Disperse Fog Of War In Ukraine|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/digital-investigators-disperse-fog-of-war-ukraine/27106623.html|access-date=2021-04-02|website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|date=2 July 2015 |language=en |last1=Volchek |first1=Dmitry }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=InformNapalm: установлены еще три российские военные части, которые участвовали в захвате Крыма|url=https://ru.krymr.com/a/news-informnapalm-krym-rossiikie-voennye-zahvat-poluostrova-novye-dokazatelstva/30850113.html|access-date=2021-04-02|website=Крым.Реалии|date=21 September 2020 |language=ru}}</ref> initiative to inform Ukrainian citizens and the foreign public about the Russo-Ukrainian War and the activities of the Russian special services as well as the militants of DPR, LPR, and Novorossiya. The team members are engaged in a wide range of other volunteer activities. Authors publish materials in 30 languages, including Japanese and Chinese.
== History == The Informnapalm.org website was created on 29 March 2014 after the Russian military intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. During the existence of the project, volunteers conducted two profound investigations of the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and gathered evidence of the presence of Russian troops in Ukrainian territory.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.day.kiev.ua/uk/article/media/vvichlyva-zbroya|title=Ввічлива зброя|author=Марія Прокопенко|date=September 11, 2015|publisher=День}}</ref>
thumb|413x413px|TOP-10 Military Gadgets Involved in the Russian Aggression Against Ukraine. InformNapalm Infographics The main activities of the project are collecting and analysing OSINT information, found in open sources, including social networks. InformNapalm's investigation of 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade commander colonel Sergei Muchkayev, suspected of killing the MH17 passengers, was used in the report of the Bellingcat research team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bellingcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/53rd-report-public.pdf|title=MH17 - Potential Suspects and Witnesses from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade}}</ref>
After the Russian intervention in Syria, InformNapalm began publishing personal data of Russian pilots who bombed Syrian cities, and together with the media project "Visuals" created infographics containing personal data of crew members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://informnapalm.org/ua/syriya-infografika-ofitsery-vks-rf-vijskovi-zlochyntsi-kremlya/|title=Сирія. Інфографіка: офіцери ВКС РФ – військові злочинці Кремля|publisher=InformNapalm|date=October 27, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/syrien-krise/syrien-russen-pranger-43264586.bild.html|title=Aktivisten stellen Putins Piloten an den Pranger|publisher=Bild|date=November 6, 2015}}</ref> These publications have caused negative reactions in Russia. In particular, the Russian President's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has said that in response to the actions of the project "Russian special services will take all necessary measures".<ref name="bild20151106">{{cite web |title=Aktivisten stellen Putins Piloten an den Pranger |trans-title=Activists put Putin pilots to pillory|author=Julian Röpcke |date=November 6, 2015 |language=de|url=http://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/syrien-krise/syrien-russen-pranger-43264586.bild.html |publisher=Bild |accessdate=November 8, 2015}}</ref> In response, the authors of the site said that "every violation the ceasefire in the Donbas by the joint Russian-separatist forces will cause the publication of another OSINT-investigation with names, photos, tactical and registration numbers and other details and facts related to Russian pilots crimes during a military operation in Syria".<ref name="пєсков">{{Cite web|url=https://ua.informnapalm.org/informnapalm-vidpoviv-pyeskovu-nashi-publikatsiyi-shokova-terapiya/|title=InformNapalm відповів Пєскову: «Наші публікації — шокова терапія» | archive-url=https://archive.today/20151018114405/https://ua.informnapalm.org/informnapalm-vidpoviv-pyeskovu-nashi-publikatsiyi-shokova-terapiya/ | archive-date=2015-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Кремль відкрив ящик Пандори. "Партизани" з InformNapalm розповіли, чим шантажують російських генералів і як зупинити Путіна|author=Олександра Горчинська|date=October 21, 2015|url=http://nv.ua/ukr/publications/kreml-vidkriv-jashchik-pandori-partizani-z-informnapalm-rozpovili-chim-shantazhujut-rosijskih-generaliv-i-jak-zupiniti-putina-75240.html|publisher=Новое Время|accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref> TV channel Al Arabiya compared this InformNapalm project activity with WikiLeaks publications.<ref>[http://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/syria/2015/10/13/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B4%D9%81-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7.html تسريب صور وأسماء وبيانات الطيارين الروس في سوريا موقع روسي يشبه «ويكيليكس» نشر أيضا عناوينهم وأرقام هواتفهم وتعهد بتسريب المزيد](In Arabic)</ref>
By the end of 2016, the community had 407 investigative publications, 1197 translations and over 3920 reposts in the media.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://blog.informnapalm.org/ytogy-2016-goda/|title=Соцмедиа в информационном противостоянии. Итоги 2016 года - InformNapalm Blog|date=2016-12-12|language=uk-UA|work=InformNapalm Blog|accessdate=2016-12-12|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221052810/https://blog.informnapalm.org/ytogy-2016-goda/|archivedate=2016-12-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In March 2017, the Ukraine Crisis Media Center hosted a presentation of the book "Donbas on Fire".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://uacrisis.org/ua/53825-donbas-v-ogni#prettyPhoto|title="Донбас в огні" – це путівник для журналістів та експертів, які хочуть розібратися, що відбувається на Донбасі – автори видання|date=2017-03-17|language=uk-UA|accessdate=2017-10-15|archive-date=15 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015150902/http://uacrisis.org/ua/53825-donbas-v-ogni#prettyPhoto}}</ref> The book includes evidence of Russian aggression found and systematized by InformNapalm volunteers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://hromadskeradio.org/programs/kyiv-donbas/nash-putivnyk-dopomozhe-get-neobiznanym-zoriyentuvatysya-na-donbasi-avtory|title=Наш путівник допоможе геть необізнаним зорієнтуватися на Донбасі, — автори|date=2017-03-17|language=uk-UA|accessdate=2017-10-15|archive-date=17 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417010754/https://hromadskeradio.org/programs/kyiv-donbas/nash-putivnyk-dopomozhe-get-neobiznanym-zoriyentuvatysya-na-donbasi-avtory}}</ref>
In April 2018, InformNapalm published an interactive database of Russian aggression.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.5.ua/suspilstvo/russian-aggression-volontery-opublikuvaly-masshtabnu-interaktyvnu-bazu-danykh-rosiiskoi-ahresii-168154.html|title=RUSSIAN AGGRESSION: ВОЛОНТЕРИ ОПУБЛІКУВАЛИ МАСШТАБНУ ІНТЕРАКТИВНУ БАЗУ ДАНИХ РОСІЙСЬКОЇ АГРЕСІЇ|date=2018-04-12|language=uk-UA|accessdate=2018-04-15|archive-date=15 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415214514/https://www.5.ua/suspilstvo/russian-aggression-volontery-opublikuvaly-masshtabnu-interaktyvnu-bazu-danykh-rosiiskoi-ahresii-168154.html}}</ref> The Russian Aggression database is the result of four years of volunteer work. More than 1700 InformNapalm OSINT investigations are systematized and divided into two groups: Russian weapons found in Donbas; Russian army units that participated in the aggression against Ukraine, Georgia, and Syria.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.unian.ua/war/10078334-volonteri-opublikuvali-masshtabnu-bazu-danih-pro-rosiysku-agresiyu-na-donbasi.html?|title=Волонтери опублікували масштабну базу даних про російську агресію на Донбасі|date=2018-04-12|language=uk-UA|accessdate=2018-04-15|archive-date=17 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617165847/https://www.unian.ua/war/10078334-volonteri-opublikuvali-masshtabnu-bazu-danih-pro-rosiysku-agresiyu-na-donbasi.html}}</ref> The database is searchable by military unit number and unit name. Images of military unit insignia or military equipment are clickable and lead to a list of investigations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://informnapalm.org/db/russian-aggression/#lang=ua&page=m_unit|title=russian-aggression|date=2018-04-12|language=uk-UA|accessdate=2018-04-15|archive-date=12 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412150246/https://informnapalm.org/db/russian-aggression/#lang=ua&page=m_unit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://euromaidanpress.com/2018/04/25/informnapalm-release-huge-osint-database-of-evidence-of-russian-aggression-in-ukraine/|title=Ukrainian OSINT sleuths release largest existing database of evidence of Russian aggression in Ukraine - Euromaidan Press|date=2018-04-25|language=en|work=Euromaidan Press|accessdate=2018-04-25|archive-date=25 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425180902/http://euromaidanpress.com/2018/04/25/informnapalm-release-huge-osint-database-of-evidence-of-russian-aggression-in-ukraine/}}</ref>
== Surkov leaks == {{main|Surkov leaks}} On 23 October 2016, Ukrainian hacker group CyberHunta published correspondence that it alleged was from the office email account of Vladislav Surkov, a political adviser to Vladimir Putin.<ref>{{cite web|title=КИБЕРХУНТА ПЕРЕДАЕТ ПРИВЕТ СУРКОВУ|url=http://cyberhunta.com/news/kiberhunta-peredaet-privet-surkovu/|publisher=Cyberhunta.com|language=ru|date=23 October 2016|access-date=31 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308134608/http://cyberhunta.com/news/kiberhunta-peredaet-privet-surkovu/|archive-date=8 March 2017|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Volunteers from InformNapalm requested additional evidence from an alliance of hacker groups that includes CyberHunta, {{Interlanguage link|RUH8|uk}}, FalconsFlame, and TRINITY. They secured the release of a 1 GB Microsoft Outlook data file. InformNapalm reported that the hackers also were in possession of documents from 2015 and 2016 that were being analysed by intelligence agencies and were not released due to their operational value.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bjorn|first1=Falcon|title=SurkovLeaks: 1GB mail cache retrieved by Ukrainian hacktivists (English)|url=https://informnapalm.org/en/surkovleaks/|publisher=InformNapalm|language=en|date=25 October 2016}}</ref>
The document leak included 2,337 emails from Surkov's inbox.<ref name="DFRL">{{cite web|author1=Digital Forensic Research Lab|title=Breaking Down the Surkov Leaks – DFRLab|url=https://medium.com/dfrlab/breaking-down-the-surkov-leaks-b2feec1423cb#.t4wz7vsnx|website=Medium|publisher=Atlantic Council|date=25 October 2016}}</ref> The emails illustrate Russian plans to politically destabilize Ukraine and the coordination of affairs with major opposition leaders in separatist Eastern Ukraine.<ref name="IBTUK">{{cite news|last1=Murdock|first1=Jason|title=Surkov leaks: Thousands of hacked emails reportedly from high-ranking Kremlin official published|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/surkov-leaks-thousands-hacked-emails-high-ranking-kremlin-officials-published-1588645|work=International Business Times UK|date=27 October 2016}}</ref> The release included a document sent to Surkov by Denis Pushilin, former Chairman of the People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic, listing casualties that occurred during 2014.<ref name="DFRL"/> It also included a 22-page outline of "a plan to support nationalist and separatist politicians and to encourage early parliamentary elections in Ukraine, all with the aim of undermining the government in Kyiv."<ref name="FP">{{cite news|last1=Standish|first1=Reid|title=Hacked: Putin Aide's Emails Detail Alleged Plot to Destabilize Ukraine|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/10/25/hacked-putin-aides-emails-detail-alleged-plot-to-destabilize-kiev-surkov-ukraine-leaks/|work=Foreign Policy|date=25 October 2016}}</ref>
== Private files of Russian militants == Thanks to the cooperation with hackers, InformNapalm volunteers were able to access private files of individual Russian militants. In March 2016, a group of cyber activists {{ill|FalconsFlame|uk}} handed over to InformNapalm volunteers data extracted from the phone of Nikolai Reichenau, an employee of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service: photos of the Russian occupier in the settlements of Luhansk, Izvarine, Sorokine (formerly Krasnodon), Donetsk, Ilovaisk, Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk), Debaltseve, and Vuhlehirsk. The phone also contained videos and photos from Donetsk airport taken in January 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zaxid.net/hakeri_zalamali_telefon_spetsnazivtsya_rf_i_oprilyudnili_dokazi_yogo_uchasti_u_viyni_na_donbasi_n1384663|title=Хакери заламали телефон спецназівця РФ і оприлюднили докази його участі у війні на Донбасі|publisher=Zaxid.net|first1=Оксана|last1=Руда|date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218190438/https://zaxid.net/hakeri_zalamali_telefon_spetsnazivtsya_rf_i_oprilyudnili_dokazi_yogo_uchasti_u_viyni_na_donbasi_n1384663|archive-date=18 February 2022|url-status=live|access-date=21 March 2022}}</ref> After the article was published, the official YouTube channel of the InformNapalm community received a letter from YouTube management demanding that the video be removed<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA8iGJ92m2Y&feature=youtu.be|title=Хакеры #FF спалили спецназовца ФСИН России (18+)|publisher=Inform Napalm|date=2 March 2016|website=YouTube|url-status=live|access-date=6 November 2021|archive-date=11 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411172724/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA8iGJ92m2Y&feature=youtu.be}}</ref> within 48 hours due to a complaint about privacy violations. After a series of consultations, InformNapalm volunteers prepared an open letter to the YouTube editorial board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://informnapalm.org/ua/vidkrytyj-lyst-youtube-teroryst-iz-fsvp-rf-podav-skargu-na-konfidentsijnist/|title=Відкритий лист до YouTube: терорист із ФСВП РФ подав скаргу на "конфіденційність"|publisher=ІнформНапалм|date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124193433/https://informnapalm.org/ua/vidkrytyj-lyst-youtube-teroryst-iz-fsvp-rf-podav-skargu-na-konfidentsijnist/|archive-date=24 January 2021|url-status=live|access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref>
== See also == * OSINT
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{Official website|https://informnapalm.org/en/}} * [https://www.youtube.com/c/InformNapalm InformNapalm] channel on YouTube
{{Civil volunteer movement helping Ukrainian forces in the war in Donbas}}
Category:Citizen journalism Category:Intelligence websites Category:Military intelligence Category:Multilingual websites Category:Open-source intelligence Category:Russian-language websites Category:Russo-Ukrainian cyberwarfare Category:Ukrainian-language websites Category:Ukrainian websites Category:Volunteering in Ukraine