Seeing events that occurred between
01 Jan 1970, 00:00 - 01 Jan 1970, 00:00
Navigating the Platform
Each event represents an occurence that is distinct in either time, space, or both. An event is represented by a coloured circle on both the map and the timeline.
Select an event to reveal its content and sources. You can filter events by category or other specified filters in the top left toolbar.
Narratives compose events to reveal logical threads that emerge from them. Transition to narrative mode by selecting a narrative from the top left dashboard icon.
In narrative mode, arrows indicate physical movement between two events.
The Battle of Ilovaisk
Mapping Russian Military Presence in Eastern Ukraine
August–September 2014
The struggle for control of the town of Ilovaisk, Eastern Ukraine, was a defining moment in the 2014 Ukraine conflict. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, who had held the upper hand against pro-Russian separatists in the region, were defeated.
Ukrainian soldiers reported encountering regular units of the Russian army during the battle; Russia denied the charge. But open source investigators gathered substantial evidence to support their claims.
Using machine learning and computer vision, and building on the work of dozens of open source investigators, reporters and media outlets, Forensic Architecture gathered together the most comprehensive collection of evidence for the presence of Russian military personnel and hardware throughout the battlefield.
In total, we gathered evidence of almost 300 Russian military vehicles around the Ukranian towns of Ilovaisk and Luhansk. Here, that evidence is presented in an interactive cartographic platform.
The Russian T-72B3 tank
A destroyed Russian tank
A house in Chervonosilske
The school in Mnohopillia