Methodology & Editorial Guidelines

Version: 1.0 | Last Updated: March 19, 2026

Ukraine War Analytics is an independent, open-source platform that aggregates, structures, and contextualises publicly available data on the Russia–Ukraine war. This page explains who we are, what sources we use, how we verify information, and the editorial principles that govern every page on this site.

Transparency about our methods is not optional — it is foundational. When conflict data is misrepresented, lives and policy decisions are affected. Our commitment is to rigour, objectivity, and intellectual honesty above all else.

1. Who We Are

Ukraine War Analytics is maintained by a team of open-source researchers, data analysts, and subject-matter contributors with backgrounds in political science, defence studies, international relations, and data engineering. Contributors are identified on our About page. No content is published anonymously without editorial review.

We are not affiliated with any government, political party, military organisation, or commercial interest. We receive no funding from any state actor. The site is operationally supported by reader-facing advertising (Google AdSense) and voluntary contributions. Our editorial decisions are made entirely independently of revenue considerations.

2. Source Hierarchy and Verification Standard

All data and analytical claims on this site are grounded in a tiered source hierarchy. Claims derived from lower-tier sources are always flagged explicitly.

Tier 1 — Primary Institutional Sources (highest reliability)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UN OHCHR — civilian casualty reports, humanitarian situation reports, and displacement statistics.
UNHCR — verified refugee and displacement data by country and region.
World Bank — Ukraine Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA); GDP and economic indicators.
IMF — macroeconomic outlook, budget deficit, and debt sustainability data.
NATO and allied government official statements — aid commitments, force posture updates.
Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and General Staff — official Ukrainian armed forces statements (cross-referenced where possible).
Russian Ministry of Defence — official Russian statements (published for completeness; independently verified before being cited as factual).

Tier 2 — Established Analytical Organisations

Institute for the Study of War (ISW) — daily and weekly frontline assessments; we use ISW's situational reports as a primary reference for ground-control mapping but do not adopt ISW framing uncritically.
Oryx (oryxspioenkop.com) — visually confirmed equipment loss database. All Oryx figures cited on this site represent minimum confirmed losses, as Oryx methodology requires photographic or video evidence for each entry.
Kiel Institute for the World Economy — Ukraine Support Tracker — verified international military and financial aid figures.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) — arms transfer and military expenditure data.
ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project) — geo-referenced conflict event data.

Tier 3 — Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Media

Geolocated imagery and satellite analysis from verified OSINT communities (e.g., Brady Africk, Maxar Technologies, Planet Labs).
Reporting from established international outlets (Reuters, AP, BBC, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde) used as secondary confirmation.
Social media footage and Telegram channel reports are only cited after geolocation or multi-source corroboration. Single-source social media claims are never presented as established fact.

3. Data Collection Process

Aggregation: Source data is collected systematically via tracked RSS feeds, official publication monitors, and a structured OSINT review workflow. No automated web-scraping pipeline is used as a sole data source.
Cross-referencing: Every quantitative claim (casualties, equipment losses, territorial control, aid volumes) is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources before publication. Where sources conflict, we report both figures with explicit notation.
Uncertainty labelling: We distinguish between confirmed, estimated, and alleged claims. Terms such as "reportedly," "unverified," and "according to [source]" are used deliberately and consistently.
Revision policy: Published data is updated when better information becomes available. Substantial corrections are noted at the bottom of the relevant page with a change date.

4. Editorial Standards

4.1 Objectivity and Impartiality

Ukraine War Analytics covers a conflict in which one state (Russia) has launched an internationally condemned war of aggression against another (Ukraine). Reporting this factual legal and political context is not bias — it is accuracy.

Within that context, our analysis of military operations, diplomatic negotiations, and humanitarian outcomes is conducted without promoting any specific political outcome. We do not advocate for particular weapons transfers, sanctions regimes, or peace terms. We present verified data and let readers draw conclusions.

4.2 Sensitive Content Policy

This site covers a live armed conflict. We are fully aware of the human suffering this entails. Our content policies regarding sensitivity are as follows:

No graphic imagery: We do not publish graphic photographs or videos of deceased or wounded individuals, executions, or explicit battlefield injuries. Such material is never displayed on the site, including in thumbnails, social preview images, or embedded content.
Analytical framing: Casualty data, atrocity documentation, and war crimes reporting are presented in analytical, data-driven formats (tables, charts, sourced statistics) rather than sensationalist narrative.
No dehumanisation: We do not use dehumanising language regarding any ethnic, national, or military group. All actors are referred to by their formal designations.
Incitement prohibition: No content on this site encourages, glorifies, or incites violence against any individual or group.

4.3 Independence from Propaganda

We actively monitor and flag disinformation narratives from all parties to the conflict. When official narratives from any belligerent are contradicted by verified evidence, we report the discrepancy. We do not amplify unverified claims from either Ukrainian or Russian official sources without independent corroboration.

4.4 Quantitative Methodology for Specific Data Categories

Equipment Losses

All equipment loss figures are sourced primarily from Oryx and represent minimum confirmed losses — defined as losses documented with photographic or video evidence and verified geolocation where available. Actual losses on both sides are likely higher. This caveat is stated on every equipment analysis page.

Territorial Control

Frontline maps are derived from ISW daily assessments, cross-referenced with ACLED event data and geolocated OSINT. Maps are updated at minimum weekly. All territorial control designations reflect the most recent verified reporting and are explicitly time-stamped.

Civilian Casualties

Civilian casualty figures cite UN OHCHR as the primary source. OHCHR counts are explicitly described as minimum verified figures; the actual total is noted to be significantly higher due to access constraints and reporting gaps in conflict zones.

Economic Data

Damage estimates reference the World Bank/UN/EU Joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA). GDP, inflation, and fiscal data are drawn from IMF Article IV reports and the National Bank of Ukraine. Currency conversions use the official NBU rate at the time of reported figures.

5. Use of Artificial Intelligence

AI-assisted tools are used in the following limited capacities: data structuring, template generation for page scaffolding, and initial draft summarisation. All AI-generated content is reviewed, edited, and verified by human contributors before publication. No AI-generated text is published verbatim without human fact-checking against primary sources. AI tools are never used as a source of factual claims.

6. Corrections and Transparency

We take accuracy seriously. If you believe a page contains an error, please use our Contact / Report an Error page. We will investigate and, where warranted, issue a correction within 5 business days. Significant factual corrections are published at the bottom of the affected page with a datestamp and description of the change.

7. Licensing and Reproduction

Original analysis, data visualisations, and written content produced by Ukraine War Analytics are published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence unless otherwise noted. You are free to share and adapt the material for any purpose, provided you give appropriate credit and link back to the original page.

Data sourced from third parties (ISW, Oryx, World Bank, etc.) remains subject to each organisation's own licensing terms.

8. Contact & Feedback

For questions about methodology, source disputes, or media inquiries, contact us via our Contact page.