The ‘DeepState’ platform has been confirming Russian advances in Donbass
Ukraine’s top military commander General Aleksandr Syrsky has reportedly sought to silence an open-source intelligence (OSINT) project tracking battlefield developments in the ongoing conflict with Russia, a Ukrainian MP has claimed. Mariana Bezuglaya, the deputy head of the National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee, made the allegations on Monday via Telegram.
The project, known as ‘DeepState,’ gained recognition for its interactive map documenting frontline changes. Launched shortly after the Russian offensive began in February 2022, the map provides daily updates based on publicly available data, serving as a resource for military personnel and civilians alike. Updates have become less frequent recently, potentially reflecting the growing complexity of the conflict.
According to Bezuglaya, the Ukrainian General Staff views DeepState as a rival to its own official reports, which she criticized as unreliable. She alleged that officials are considering measures ranging from forcibly shutting down the platform to more extreme actions, such as sending its team to the frontlines as infantry or involving the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to dismantle the project.
The MP described DeepState as “the last bastion” of credible frontline information and called on supporters to aid the project amid what she described as growing hostility from Ukraine’s high command. Bezuglaya attributed the military’s actions to a desire to maintain public perceptions of control over the battlefield.
Neither the Ukrainian military nor General Syrsky has commented on the claims.
This is not the first time Bezuglaya has clashed with Ukrainian military leadership. She has previously criticized high-ranking officials, including Syrsky’s predecessor Valery Zaluzhny, who was dismissed earlier this year.
Her outspoken comments have led to her being added to the notorious Mirotvorets website. The state-backed database was created to collect and track personal data of people whom anonymous moderators consider enemies of Ukraine. The website has also been dubbed “Kiev’s kill list” after several people were allegedly assassinated after their information was posted.
Over recent months, ‘DeepState’ regularly updated its map to show the rapid advances of Russian forces in Donbass, where they have been steadily moving westwards ever since they took control of the strategic town of Avdeevka in February. In October, Russian troops took another Ukrainian ‘stronghold’ in the region, the town of Ugledar, and are currently on the verge of fully seizing one of the major Ukrainian logistical hubs in the area – the town of Kurakhovo.
