DeepState, a civilian-run Ukrainian mapping platform, has become a vital source for tracking Russia’s invasion, according to The New York Times. In August 2025, it was revealed that a major Russian breach had occurred, prompting military action. Using geolocated videos, satellite data, and frontline sources, the map draws nearly a million daily views. While officials sometimes criticize it for exposing sensitive setbacks, DeepState is widely trusted for its accuracy and independence, prioritizing operational safety in its updates. They write:
Earlier this month, rumors spread that Russian troops had pierced Ukrainian defensive lines along a critical section of the eastern front. Soldiers spoke of night infiltrations, gunfire rattling in the distance and skirmishes near villages once considered secure.
The rumors quickly reached Ruslan Mykula and Roman Pohorilyi, the Ukrainian co-founders of DeepState, the group behind what has become the definitive online map charting battlefield movements. […]
The map receives some 900,000 views daily on average. Among its viewers are civilians living near the front, trying to gauge if Russian troops are closing in; military experts and reporters tracking the shifting battle lines; humanitarian volunteers organizing evacuation plans; and even soldiers trying to cut through the fog of war. […]
DeepState held off on updating its map for the first two days of the offensive to maintain the element of surprise and prevent the Russians, who also track the map, from getting clues on where to strike back.
Mr. Pohorilyi said that “the safety of our military” comes first and that his group shared the same goal: winning the war.
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