Notices by Bellingcat (bellingcat@mstdn.social), page 3

Identifying weapons is a skill that comes with high risk. Misidentification can add to false narratives, and in clearance efforts, even death. Bellingcat Tech Writing Fellow Andro Mathewson provides guidance on verifying explosive ordnance https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2024/07/31/a-beginners-guide-to-identifying-explosive-ordnance-in-social-media-imagery/?utm_source=mastodon

Explosive Ordnance are weapons that can detonate without warning, killing or injuring civilians long after conflicts have ended.

The rise in conflict imagery on social media has both helped and hindered open source research efforts. There is now more footage of EOs than ever before, but within recent conflicts we’ve seen an uptake in false weapon claims contributing to mis and disinformation.

Before attempting to identify the munition, you should first verify that the footage is real through geolocation and verification techniques. You can find a useful guide here: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2021/11/01/a-beginners-guide-to-social-media-verification/

Today marks 10 years since Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down. All 298 civilians on board lost their lives. Using open sources, we helped to uncover who was accountable, amongst a wave of disinformation. You can listen to our investigation here: https://www.novel.audio/shows/the-bellingcat-podcast

The secretive far-right festival ‘White Boy Summer’ is back; an event experts warn is used to grow extremist networks. @ColborneMichael and Bellingcat community member Teemu Nieminen reveal the hidden location and nature of the event organised by neo-nazis…https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/07/11/to-blur-or-not-to-blur-exposing-finlands-lakeside-neo-nazi-meetup/?utm_source=

Latest: An analysis of open source evidence, as well as multiple missile experts, have pointed to a Russian launched Kh-101 cruise missile being the weapon that struck a children’s hospital in Kyiv https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/07/09/russian-missile-identified-in-kyiv-childrens-hospital-attack/?utm_source=mastodon

The July 8th attack on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital has left three children dead and 16 injured according to the Security Services of Ukraine (SBU). More are thought to still be under the rubble.

Shortly after the bombing, claims began to surface on social media that Russia was being wrongly blamed for the attack and that the missile was American in origin, fired by Ukraine. Jackson Hinkle, a political activist who has appeared on Russian state media, was one such voice.

We're looking for skilled technologists to develop a tool of their interest for the open-source community and skilled creatives to help make open-source tool guides more accessible. Does either sound like you?
Apply for our fellowship opportunities here: https://www.bellingcat.com/about/careers/

@jornfranke Thanks for the comment, we will pass it on to our tech team.

As we release our 2023 annual report, we want to take a look back at an eventful year. Explore an overview of our work, the impact we’ve made and our goals for the coming years in our 2023 recap. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_KJ9EaMvk&t=14s

This week the United Nations Security Council called for an end to the siege of Al-Fashir. The Sudanese city looks to fall to the Rapid Support Forces any day; our team worked with Sudanese Fact Checkers Beam Reports to understand the impact its had on civilians. 
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/africa/2024/06/12/sudan-darfur-war-conflict-civilians-trapped-in-al-fashir-el-fasher-rsf-saf-genocide/

In our latest guide Bellingcat researcher Annique Mossou explains how you can use free-to-access satellite data to track the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank… https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2024/05/17/how-to-use-free-satellite-imagery-to-monitor-the-expansion-of-west-bank-settlements/?utm_source=mstdn

We are pleased to announce that former CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey has committed a generous grant to Bellingcat through his Start Small Foundation. The details of the grant will be publicly reflected in our annual report. You can read about the donation here: https://www.bellingcat.com/jack-dorseys-startsmall-becomes-newest-bellingcat-funder/

Latest: Bellingcat, with our partners Lloyds List, reveal two more ships involved in Russian grain smuggling operations from occupied Crimea to Iran. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/04/23/from-crimea-to-iran-two-more-ships-join-russias-grain-smuggling-fleet/?utm_source=mstdn

Using imagery from the aftermath, Bellingcat geolocates overnight strikes, by Israeli forces, on The World Central Kitchen vehicles to the outskirts of Deir al-Balah. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/04/02/strike-that-killed-world-central-kitchen-workers-bears-hallmarks-of-israeli-precision-strike/?utm_source=mastodon

Seven aid workers were killed when their vehicles were hit by Israeli airstrikes as they left their Deir al-Balah warehouse to deliver aid supplies inside Gaza.

The destroyed vehicles bear the hallmarks of a precision strike. Images from the aftermath of the strike show that the WCK vehicles were white and at least one had the WCK logo and name clearly marked on the roof.

In response to the strikes, the IDF stated that it “is conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.” https://t.me/idfofficial/7301