FAQ — live war map, OSINT, ADS-B and AIS

A: Battlemap.online is an interactive live conflict map that aggregates and visualizes data from open sources (OSINT) in near real time. Our platform provides a comprehensive picture of the geopolitical situation by tracking troop movements, airstrikes, armed incidents, and data from systems such as ADS-B and AIS. The goal is to give journalists, researchers, and OSINT enthusiasts a centralized tool for monitoring global hotspots. The map combines verified reports with automatically collected data, creating a dynamic picture of the changing situation around the world.

See /map

A: OSINT, or open-source intelligence, is a discipline of collecting and analyzing information from publicly available sources. This data can include social media, public registries, satellite imagery, and data from tracking systems such as ADS-B. Organizations such as Bellingcat have popularized OSINT by demonstrating its effectiveness in investigating conflicts and verifying information. Battlemap.online uses OSINT methods to verify events and provide reliable context for the data displayed on the map.

A: Our data comes from three main categories of sources: automated systems, verified OSINT channels, and official statements. Automated sources include global networks of ADS-B (aviation) and AIS (shipping) receivers. We also use publicly available data from OSINT projects as one of the reference points when verifying reports. Official statements from armed forces and government agencies are the third pillar of our data, allowing us to triangulate it and increasing the credibility of the information we present.

A: The map on battlemap.online is updated continuously, depending on the data source. Data from automated systems such as ADS-B and MLAT is refreshed every few seconds, showing aircraft movements almost live. Events verified by OSINT analysts are added immediately after their authenticity is confirmed, which can take from a few minutes to several hours after the event occurs. Key alerts and significant changes on the front line are processed with priority to ensure the fastest possible access to critical information.

See /map

A: ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is a technology in which aircraft automatically broadcast their position, altitude, speed, and identifier. This data is received by a network of ground-based receivers and aggregated on our map. It makes it possible to track most civilian and some military aircraft in real time, including NATO reconnaissance aircraft and transport planes. It is a key OSINT tool for monitoring aviation activity in conflict areas.

See /livemap

A: The main difference is their purpose: ADS-B is used to track aircraft, while AIS (Automatic Identification System) is its maritime counterpart for ships. Both systems work on a similar principle of transmitting position and identification data, but they use different radio frequencies and protocols. On battlemap.online we use both technologies to monitor air activity (e.g., reconnaissance flights) as well as maritime activity (e.g., warship movements or commercial blockades), which gives a fuller picture of the operational situation.

A: The territorial control overlay is a visual layer on the map that shows which areas are controlled by each side of a conflict. For the conflict in Ukraine, we provide a daily-updated front-line layer based on publicly available cartographic data verified by OSINT analysts. Thanks to this layer, battlemap.online users can instantly see territorial advances and changes on the front line, independently of individual reported events.

See /map/ukraine

A: Yes, we provide a public REST API that gives developers and researchers access to our data on events and objects. Our API makes it possible to integrate battlemap.online data with your own applications, websites, or analytics tools. The API documentation contains detailed information about available endpoints, request limits, and authorization methods. API access is a key part of our mission to support the OSINT community.

See /api

A: We currently actively monitor more than ten conflicts, focusing on those of the greatest global and humanitarian significance. Key areas include: the war in Ukraine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the civil war in Sudan, the conflict in Yemen, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, instability in the Sahel region, the civil war in Myanmar, the civil war in Syria, the conflict in Ethiopia, and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The list is regularly updated as the geopolitical situation develops.

A: Battlemap.online offers a dedicated section for tracking the war in Ukraine in real time. Our map combines public reports of troop movements, missile strike locations, air alerts, and publicly available ADS-B data on aviation activity in the region. We also provide a territorial control layer based on publicly available cartographic data, which lets you follow changes on the front line as they happen. All of this information is available on a single interactive map, making it a comprehensive tool for monitoring this conflict.

See /map/ukraine

A: Our map offers advanced filtering options that let you tailor the displayed information to your needs. You can filter events by type (e.g., explosion, troop movements, protest), by date and time range, and by specific geographic region. You can also switch individual data layers on and off, such as ADS-B flight tracks, AIS ship routes, or territorial control overlays. This lets you focus on the information that matters most to you.

A: Data reliability is our highest priority; we use a multi-stage verification process to ensure its accuracy. Data from automated systems such as ADS-B is technically reliable by nature. Reports from social media sources, on the other hand, are rigorously checked and geolocated by our analyst team before publication. We use publicly available OSINT data and always try to cite the source of the information so that users can assess its credibility for themselves.

A: MLAT (multilateration) is an aircraft positioning technology that complements the ADS-B system. It is used to track aircraft equipped with older transponders that do not transmit GPS data. MLAT calculates an aircraft's position based on the time it takes for the signal from its transponder to reach at least four different ground receivers. Thanks to MLAT, our map can track a wider range of aircraft, including many military aircraft that deliberately do not use ADS-B.

A: The choice of monitored conflicts is based on three key criteria: geopolitical significance, the scale of the humanitarian crisis, and the availability of reliable OSINT data. We prioritize conflicts with the potential to affect regional and global stability, such as the war in Ukraine. The humanitarian dimension is equally important to us. Ultimately, our ability to provide accurate information depends on the existence of active OSINT communities and the availability of data, which also influences our choice.

A: Battlemap.online provides extensive, real-time coverage of multiple conflict zones across the Middle East on our interactive map. We track events related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the civil war in Syria, and the ongoing conflict in Yemen. Furthermore, we monitor regional escalations, including Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and retaliatory strikes. The map consolidates verified incident reports, airstrike locations, and relevant ADS-B/AIS tracking data to give users a comprehensive view of the volatile situation in the region.

A: The largest active wars are Russia's war against Ukraine, the civil wars in Sudan and Myanmar, and the interlinked conflicts in the Middle East: Israel–Palestine, the Israel–Hezbollah front and Lebanon, Syria, the Iran–Israel confrontation, and Houthi activity in Yemen and the Red Sea. battleMap tracks these ten theaters on a single map; each has its own page with current events, and the index of all regions is at /conflicts.

See also Where is the war right now? The world's active conflicts

A: No. battleMap (battlemap.online) is an OSINT-based map of real armed conflicts, with an aircraft and ship tracker. BattleMetrics is an unrelated service for monitoring multiplayer game servers (e.g., Rust, ARK). Our REST API (/v1/events, /v1/aircraft, /v1/vessels) covers only conflict data and air and sea traffic.

See the API documentation and data sources and methodology