Bellingcat

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&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=donation_drive_2026

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

The US appears to have deployed the Gator Scatterable Mine system over Kafari, a village near Shiraz, in southern Iran overnight. At least two people were killed according to local reports. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/26/us-iran-mines-israel-village-missile-munitions-weapons-war-conflict/?utm_source=mastodon

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

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

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 individual for comment, the site appears to have gone offline.

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

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

Videos of explosions have fueled misunderstanding and misinformation in the conflict between US, Israel and Iran, with munition types incorrectly identified amongst claims of “mystery” weapons. But what is an explosion and what can types of explosions really tell us? Bellingcat researcher Trevor Ball’s written a guide that explains explosives, their characteristics and the impact they have on people and infrastructure. https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2026/03/30/explosive-misinformation-a-guide-to-mushroom-clouds-sonic-weapons-and-disintegration/?utm_source=mastodon

With widespread internet blackouts in Iran and new restrictions on some satellite imagery in the region, Bellingcat is launching a tool to help estimate the level of destruction in Iran and the wider Gulf region. https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2026/04/07/tool-damage-assessment-destruction-sentinel-satellite-imagery-iran-us-gulf/?utm_source=mastodon

Latest: Bellingcat has found close to 800 Hungarian government emails and associated passwords online, which in some cases have exposed confidential data of military personnel and civil servants. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/04/09/the-hungarian-government-passwords-exposed-online/?utm_source=mstdn

On Sunday, Hungarians will head to the polls to decide if Viktor Orbán, leader of the right-wing populist party Fidesz and the country's longest-serving prime minister, will be elected to a fifth consecutive term.

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

Looking to develop your investigative skills?
Our latest challenges focus exclusively on audio analysis, without visual cues—an increasingly relevant skill in the context of AI-generated audio.
Explore the exercises here:
https://challenge.bellingcat.com/

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

India has exported more than 320 million unapproved synthetic opioid pills to West Africa in just three years. Trade data shows over 1,400 shipments of tapentadol — a potent painkiller — were sent to a region already facing an opioid crisis. Our investigation, with Indian publishing partner Newslaundry, found that more than 50% of the painkillers were high-strength (200mg+), doses not even approved for use in India.
Katherine de Tolly reports: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/04/17/painkiller-pipeline-300-million-tapentadol-pills-sent-from-india-to-west-africa/?utm_source=mastodon

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

Two new videos have emerged showing the deadly strikes that hit an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compound, as well as an adjacent girls’ school, in Minab, Iran. By geolocating and verifying the footage, Bellingcat found two waves of attacks, occurring hours apart. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/27/new-videos-reveal-more-details-about-iran-girls-school-strike/?utm_source=mastodon

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

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/

Researching China is hard—many foreign sites are blocked, making domestic platforms vital for journalists. Even under tight controls, Chinese apps are the main window into the country. Chu Yang explains in our latest guide how to research the app Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book or Rednote) https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2026/04/20/xiaohongshu-rednote-open-source-guide/?utm_source=mastodon

Bellingcat and Josimar identified the representative of an Asian bookmaker who used a false name to sign a sponsorship deal with Croatia’s national football team ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
In 2024, the Croatian Football Federation signed a deal with gambling site Dragon Z6 as its “exclusive betting partner” across Asia. Dragon Z6’s representative, named on screen was "Alexander Smith".
But Mr Smith isn’t who he claims to be… and neither is Dragon Z6…https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03/31/croatian-football-teams-deal-with-gambling-sponsor/?utm_source=mstdn

A new set of challenges is live today! This month, we’ve removed all visuals, so you can put your open source investigative skills to the test using audio analysis alone… Try the exercises here: https://challenge.bellingcat.com/