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INFORMNAPALM
2,142 Operations | 27,610 Telegram Messages | 2014-2025
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1. EVIDENCE TYPES (689 total known operations)
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Photos 175 operations
Unit identification 173 operations
Video 118 operations
Leaks 86 operations
Social media 62 operations
Documents 51 operations
Geolocation 17 operations
Drone/UAV 7 operations
2. RUSSIAN UNITS IDENTIFIED (Major categories)
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GRU (Military Intelligence) 259 mentions
FSB (Security Service) 27 mentions
Special Forces 24 mentions
VDV/Airborne 22 mentions
Wagner/PMC 21 mentions
Notable Brigades:
• 18th Motor Rifle Brigade (first Crimea identification)
• 136th Motor Rifle Brigade (repeated Donbas presence)
• 53rd Air Defense Brigade (MH17 BUK system)
• 64th Motor Rifle Brigade (Bucha war crimes)
• 200th Motor Rifle Brigade (Northern Fleet)
• 15th Motor Rifle Brigade (“peacekeepers”)
• 22nd Special Forces GRU
• 291st Artillery Brigade
3. GEOGRAPHIC/OPERATIONAL CONTEXTS (711 operations)
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Donbas operations 235 operations
Syria operations 103 operations
Crimea 82 operations
Equipment tracking 76 operations
Syria connection 49 operations
Belarus 40 operations
Personnel identification 33 operations
Minsk violations 14 operations
Sanctions evasion 9 operations
War crimes 5 operations
Cyber operations 4 operations
4. MAJOR LEAK OPERATIONS (26 articles)
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SurkovLeaks (2016) 8 articles – Kremlin strategy documents
FrolovLeaks (2017) 8 articles – Orthodox Church influence ops
BabakovLeaks (2023) 2 articles – Putin’s Deputy State Duma
AlabugaLeaks (2024) 2 articles – Shahed drone production
BaumankaLeaks (2024) 2 articles – Air defense systems
SU30Leaks (2024) 1 article – French Thales/Safran in Su-30
MikropriborLeaks (2024) 1 article – Military electronics factory
MedvedevLeaks (2024) 1 article – Nuclear blackmail documents
OKBMLeaks (2025) 1 article – Su-57 foreign components
5. MAJOR INCIDENTS DOCUMENTED
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MH17 Investigation 16 articles – 53rd Brigade BUK identification
Skripal Poisoning – GRU agents “Boshirov & Petrov” exposed
Navalny Poisoning – FSB operation documented
Bucha Massacre – 64th Motor Rifle Brigade identified
Mariupol Siege – War crimes documentation
Kerch Strait Incident – Ship seizure November 2018
6. CONTENT CATEGORIES & TYPES
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• Unit Identifications – Specific Russian military units in Ukraine
• Personnel IDs – Individual soldiers, officers, commanders
• Equipment Documentation – Tanks, artillery, vehicles, weapons systems
• Cyber Operations – Hacks, leaks, digital espionage
• War Crimes – Bucha, Mariupol, civilian casualties
• Sanctions Evasion – Industrial espionage, component smuggling
• Disinformation – Propaganda operations, fake news analysis
• Mercenary Operations – Wagner PMC, ChVK activities
• Cross-Border Movement – Troop rotations, equipment transfers
• Geolocation Analysis – Position verification, attack origins
• Timeline Reconstruction – Event sequences, operational chronologies
• Chemical Weapons – Poisonings, Syria attacks
• Air Operations – Bomber strikes, pilot identifications
• Naval Operations – Black Sea Fleet, submarine activities
• Electronic Warfare – Jamming systems, EW unit identifications
• Logistics – Supply lines, repair facilities
• Training Operations – Exercises (Zapad-2017, Center-2019, etc)
• Political Interference – Election meddling, influence operations
7. TOPICAL FRAMEWORKS
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CHRONOLOGICAL (Best for narrative understanding)
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Foundation Era (2014-2015)
• 176 ops (2014) → 649 ops (2015)
• Birth of OSINT methodology
• Social media as primary source
• Crimea → Donbas → Syria begins
Acceleration Era (2016-2017)
• 415 ops (2016), 318 ops (2017)
• SurkovLeaks, FrolovLeaks
• Syria operations expand
• Zapad-2017 exercises
• Telegram transition begins
Evolution Era (2018-2021)
• 111 ops (2018) → 127 ops (2021)
• Cyber operations mature
• Pre-invasion buildup (2021)
• Belarus operations
• COVID-19 impact
War Era (2022-2025)
• 63 ops (2022) → 15 ops (2025)
• Full-scale invasion
• War crimes documentation
• Sanctions evasion exposure
• Defense industry leaks
THEMATIC (Best for deep dives)
────────────────────────────────
Social Media → Cyber Evolution
• VKontakte hunting (2014-2016)
• First leaks (SurkovLeaks 2016)
• Major cyber ops (2023-2025)
War Crimes Documentation
• Bucha massacre (64th Brigade)
• Mariupol siege
• Civilian casualties tracking
Sanctions Evasion Exposure
• AlabugaLeaks (drone production)
• SU30Leaks (French components)
• OKBMLeaks (Su-57 smuggling)
International Impact
• MH17 court evidence
• Media citations
• Policy influence
• Russian responses
OPERATIONAL (Best for case studies)
──────────────────────────────────
Crimea Annexation (2014)
• First investigations
• 18th Motor Rifle Brigade
• “Little Green Men” exposed
Donbas War (2014-2022)
• 235 operations documented
• Continuous unit tracking
• Cross-border movements
• Minsk violations
Syria Operations (2015-present)
• 103 operations
• Parallel theater documentation
• Wagner PMC activities
• Chemical weapons evidence
Full-Scale Invasion (2022-present)
• War crimes focus
• Real-time documentation
• Reduced operational volume
• Shift to defense industry leaks
METHODOLOGICAL (Best for “how-to”)
─────────────────────────────────
• Social Media Analysis (VKontakte, Telegram)
• Geolocation Verification (coordinates, landmarks)
• Equipment Identification (serial numbers, models)
• Network Analysis (unit connections, personnel links)
• Document Forensics (metadata, authenticity)
• Timeline Construction (event sequencing)
• Cross-referencing (multiple source verification)
8. KEY NARRATIVE ARCS
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THE EXPONENTIAL ACCELERATION
60 operations (2014) → 1,553 operations (2015)
Why? Syria begins, methodology scales, volunteers join
THE TELEGRAM TRANSITION
2017-2018: Move from website-centric to Telegram-first
27,610 messages: Daily operational rhythm visible
THE CYBER EVOLUTION
2014-2017: Social media hunting
2018-2021: First major leaks
2022-2025: Sophisticated defense industry penetration
THE RUSSIAN RESPONSE
Account deletions (2014)
Threats & harassment (ongoing)
Legal cases (documented)
Operational security improvements (observed)
THE INTERNATIONAL IMPACT
MH17 investigation (evidence used in court)
Media citations (global coverage)
Policy influence (sanctions, awareness)
Methodology adoption (other OSINT groups)
10. NARRATIVE STRUCTURES
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Hero Journey
Follow single investigator through complex case
Example: Burko’s first Crimea investigation → MH17
Mosaic
Multiple investigations interwoven, complete picture emerges
Example: Week in 2022 – multiple ops, different theaters
Case Study Deep Dive
Single operation in exhaustive detail
Example: MH17 from first evidence → court testimony
Comparative Analysis
Before/after methodology evolution
Example: Social media (2014) vs defense industry leaks (2024)
Escalation Narrative
Show increasing sophistication over time
Example: VKontakte profiles → defense plant penetration
Cat and Mouse
InformNapalm vs Russian countermeasures
Example: Account deletions, threats, security improvements
David vs Goliath
Civilians vs state intelligence apparatus
Example: Bedroom investigators vs FSB/GRU
The Network
How international volunteer community formed
Example: From Kyiv apartment → global OSINT movement
11. SPECIFIC CHAPTER/SECTION IDEAS
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Foundation Chapters (2014-2015):
• The First Investigation (Crimea, March 2014)
• The Exponential Acceleration (60 → 1,553 ops)
• Syria Changes Everything (parallel theater opens)
• Building the Methodology (from trial → system)
Maturation Chapters (2016-2017):
• SurkovLeaks: Inside the Kremlin (first major leak)
• The Syria-Donbas Pipeline (troop rotations)
• Zapad-2017: Rehearsal for Invasion
• The Telegram Transition (communication evolution)
Evolution Chapters (2018-2021):
• MH17: From VKontakte to The Hague
• The Pre-Invasion Buildup (2021 warnings)
• Skripal, Navalny: Poisoning Operations
• Belarus: The Dress Rehearsal
War Chapters (2022-2025):
• February 24: When Everything Changed
• Bucha: Documenting War Crimes in Real Time
• The Defense Industry Leaks (new methodology)
• OKBMLeaks: Su-57’s Secret Foreign Heart
12. DATA YOU HAVE FOR CITATIONS
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For EVERY operation (2,142 total):
✓ Complete article title
✓ Publication date
✓ Full summary/excerpt
✓ Source URL (Chicago-style citation ready)
✓ Evidence types identified
✓ Russian units mentioned
✓ Geographic/operational tags
Plus Telegram archive (27,610 messages):
✓ Message ID
✓ Timestamp
✓ Sender
✓ Full text
✓ Media indicators
✓ Reply threading
Result: Every claim can be cited to primary sources
13. WRITING APPROACHES – RECOMMENDATIONS
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For “Silent Front” (complete InformNapalm story):
✓ Use CHRONOLOGICAL framework (4 eras)
✓ Include thematic deep-dives as chapters
✓ Feature specific operations as case studies
✓ Document methodology evolution throughout
✓ Show human cost (threats, harassment, resilience)
For academic/policy audiences:
✓ Lead with methodology
✓ Emphasize verifiability
✓ Include operational statistics
✓ Document international impact
For general readership:
✓ Lead with compelling narratives
✓ Feature individual investigators
✓ Use case studies to illustrate methods
✓ Balance technical detail with storytelling
For Ukrainian audience:
✓ Emphasize innovation and resilience
✓ Document threats and sacrifices
✓ Show international impact
✓ Make them proud of this achievement
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