The omnipresent nature of social networks and satellite imaging services has given rise to a form of overt information gathering (Open-Source Intelligence, OSINT). Once the exclusive sphere of government agencies, this activity has spread, and the conflict in Ukraine has taken the phenomenon to a new level. This study of the early months of the war shows how it has fostered a growing professionalism in the use of OSINT tools and methods by highly motivated members of the public, and how these communities have influenced the course of the war.