Everyone is tracking drones and missiles in Telegram channels and on maps. Where do they get the data from? Who is to trust? How to use it? Babel asked the admins, the app developer, and the Air Forces spokesman

How monitoring Telegram channels work

As soon as the [air raid] siren sounds, people on the street and at home take out their phones to check what is flying and where. We already know that a “ballistic threat from Bryansk” does not always mean missile launches. Perhaps the missile launchers are operating in an air defense mode.

“MiG is in air” — it’s a pity, now the shopping mall will be closed and you won’t be able to watch the movie, so too often these takeoffs of a cruise missile carrier are not combat-ready. Although if they write: “Ballistics on Kyiv!” or “Reactive [drone] on Brovary!”, then it’s time to take care of your safety and — at least — go out in the corridor [of your apartment].

We obtain data on the movement of targets primarily from Telegram channels. There are official and unofficial among them. The official ones include channels of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on various platforms, publics of military-civilian administrations or their heads. They do not describe the routes of drones and missiles in too much detail, so users fill in the gaps in the information with the help of unofficial publics.

There are dozens of unofficial channels. Some specialize in specific regions, others report on threats to all of Ukraine. Probably the most famous and popular are the Russian-language "Nikolaevsky Vanyok" (over 2 million subscribers), “monitor” (almost a million), "eRadar" (over 400 000 followers), but there are also smaller ones that have fewer subscribers but a loyal audience.

People go there not only for information, but also for jokes and memes from admins.

Where do the Defense Forces get information about threats from the sky?

There are several such sources: radar stations, acoustic sensors, observation posts, intelligence. Data from various sources is summarized and displayed in military programs.

• The “Delta” system allows you to see the movement of enemy equipment and forces on an interactive map.
• "Virazh-Planshet", "Virazh-PPO" and “Sky Map” display data on the movement of air targets over Ukraine. "Graphite" also displays air targets, but recognizes, in particular, FPV drones.

Access to such programs is available to the military, security forces, military administrations, “Ukrzaliznytsia”, which stops trains in case of a threat to them.

Since September, gas stations are also closed, due to the Russian Federation has also been constantly attacking them.

The "Virazh-Planshet" system displays the movements of planes, helicopters, drones, and missiles in real time. Despite its name, it is mainly used at command posts.

Генеральний штаб ЗСУ / Facebook

The DELTA situational awareness system allows you to track the movement of enemy troops on a digital map in real time.

Not all monitoring channel administrators are quick to admit where they get their information from. For example, the author of the channel "Rynda Monitors" Ilya Rynda answers this question with a prepared joke: "From Google Maps and Tarot."

In general, channels can be divided into two types — originals and copy-pasters. The first ones have access to military programs and take information mainly from there. The second ones copy (or rewrite) the messages of the former in their own words (sometimes copy-pasting is automated).

The founder of the “eRadar” channel Dmytro believes that there are about a dozen original channels, and the rest are just "followers". According to the founder of the “Missile Danger” channel (with the call-sign Major), there are no more than 5 channels that are trustworthy.

The founder of the “eRadar” channel Dmytro tells:

“Our channel was created at the end of 2022. At that time, there was no Air Force channel, and in general, there were few reliable channels that reported on threats. At that time, the ʼVirazh-tabletʼ system was difficult to access, not many servicemen had it, but I was the one who had. I had the idea to create a channel and report on such threats. The motivation was primarily the safety of people and the need for reliable information. There are only two of us working on the channel: me and the “admin” (a former employee of the National Police). We work without a schedule. If it is a massive shelling, then even the two of us. We run the channel around the clock — day and night. Private life takes a back seat. We devote almost all our free time to the channel and the safety of people. We do not compete with anyone, we do not fight for the number of subscribers, because the main point is peopleʼs lives.”

The founder of the channel "Missile Danger" Major tells:

"At the beginning of the war, people sat in shelters for 4-5 hours, even air targets might not even be flying in their direction. Firstly, I created a closed group for relatives [where I reported on the type of the danger]. [Then] everyone added friends, compadres, brothers, matchmakers, and so on. So it reached 27 000 [subscribers]. Then I opened a channel, it immediately grew to almost 200 000 subscribers. I started only with Lviv and the region, then took over the entire west. The channel is run only by me. There is no team, I am an active military man myself. Itʼs 24/7 schedule. The main point that I convey to people: ʼThere are a lot of shelters, but only one lifeʼ. When the siren sounds, a large percentage of people just donʼt care [about it]. But when I write something like: "LVIV, ATTENTION", everyone is running in shelters/corridors in 3 to 5 minutes."

The founder of the channel “Rynda Monitors” Ilya Rynda tells:

“4 years ago, my friends and I (who lived in different parts of the Khmelnytskyi region) created a Telegram chat and wrote to each other about air targets. For example, I write to my friend: “It flew past me in your direction, get ready”. He writes: “Oh, it flew past me, it’s flying in the direction of [another friend]”. That’s how it all started. We wrote just about what we saw and heard. Then we added our friends and relatives. Then I thought that other people would also find such notifications useful, and I created the channel “Where Is It Flying?”. When the audience grew to several tens of thousands, I renamed the channel, because many “copypasters” began to appear. Then everything changed and went into a more professional direction. In addition to the main channel, there are regional networks of “Rynda”. But the main channel is my individual project”.

Is it legal to run a monitoring channel?

There is a status quo — monitoring channels do not publish sensitive information, and no one touches them [then]. Although, it was not always like this.

In the first years of the Great War, monitors published too detailed information about targets: they wrote where they disappeared from radar, where they re-appeared, and where they fell. the The spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ignat explains to Babel that from this data, the enemy could draw conclusions about where we had gaps in the radar field and where the air defense is located.

Moreover, some channels published screenshots from the “Virazh-Planshet” program, which contained information about the movement of Ukrainian aircraft or drones. Then Ignat publicly appealed to the administrators of these publics and asked them not to do this. He even threatened them with criminal liability. They listened and for now they do not do this.

Ignat says that misunderstandings can only arise with newly created channels that seek to increase their audience and — as a result — hype [on it]. His team monitors various publics (not only those that report on the movement of targets) and asks administrators to remove information if it threatens national security.

“I have direct contact with hundreds of channels. It allows us to resolve issues without radical methods,” says Ignat.

Advantages:

• Frequent updates on drone and missile routes;
• Jokes and memes from the admins.

Disadvantages:

• The system is not automated, therefore it depends on the human factor (attentiveness or fatigue of administrators);
• Most channels are anonymous. It is difficult for an average user to figure out whether a particular channel has access to sources or is engaged in copy-pasting.

How the official drone and missile movement map works in the “Air Alert” application

Since October 2026, an official map of air target movement has been available. You can view it in the “Air Alert” app or on the website.

Previously, the map only highlighted the regions and areas where an air alert has been declared. Now it displays the approximate location and direction of movement of missiles or drones.

Regions and areas in which an air raid alert has been declared are marked in yellow or red, depending on the level of alert.

On the map, you can enable "Proximity Radar", which shows the distance from the nearest target to the user.

How it works:

• Air targets are displayed on the map as icons — different icons for cruise missiles, “Shaheds”, “Banderols”, and guided aerial bombs.
• If you zoom in, you can see a heat map — the area of increased danger around the target is displayed as a red spot.
• You can enable the "Proximity Radar", which shows the distance from the nearest target to the user. When the target is closer than 10-50 kilometers (the radius can be selected), the application will send a notification.

Warning: The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the information on the map only supplements the air raid alert.

"The absence of markings near you does not mean that there is no danger. Similarly, the disappearance of a target from the map does not mean that you can leave a shelter," they say.

Who did it?

The “Air Alert” app, which notifies about threats and response, was launched in March 2022 with the support of the Ministry of Digital Affairs. The development was carried out by “Ajax Systems” and “Stfalcon”. The latest update and implementation of the drone map involved the IT teams of the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff, and the Air Force.

Where does the information come from?

The head of the communications department of the Air Force Command Yuriy Ignat explained to Babel that the map for civilians takes information from the "Virazh-Planchet" and other similar systems, but it is passed through filters so that it does not reveal sensitive data.

Advantages:

• This is an official source. The map was created with the participation of the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense and is based on information from military systems;
• It can send notifications when a target approaches the user.

Disadvantages:

• The target on the map may be slightly shifted in vector or time. This is done intentionally so that the Russian Federation does not receive sensitive information. But, according to Ignat, the error in the coordinates is insignificant, and the information can be relied on when making decisions about your own security;
• The map does not show ballistic and supersonic missiles, as they are technically impossible to display due to their extremely high speed of movement. The Air Force will continue to report on such targets in its Telegram channel.

How unofficial maps work

Before the official map appeared, various unofficial applications with maps worked (and still work), visually similar to the official map. For example, "Neptune", "Kontur", SkyAlert, etc.

We will not analyze them in detail, since now they are clearly losing to the official application from the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff. These maps take information from the same monitoring Telegram channels and put marks on the map (they write about the essence of operation on the websites). Accordingly, the data may be outdated or late.

Official map for comparison.

Information on unofficial maps may be incorrect or out of date.

How the "Fluger" app works, which notifying of the approach of a target

The “Fluger” app, which was initially developed for the military and mobile fire teams, was opened to civilians in 2025. It notifies of approaching air threats.

How it works.

The “Fluger” interface is fundamentally different from its counterparts. It looks like a compass with concentric circles of different radii — 15, 30, and 45 kilometers. The user is in the center.

If a target appears within the corresponding radius, this circle is highlighted in red. If there is no target but an alarm has been declared — in yellow. If no danger is detected — in green. If the threat is less than 15 kilometers away, the developers advise going to a shelter [or hide].

Who did it?

The app was developed by the Odesa-based design group "Tekhnari". This team is engaged in development for the Defense Forces, mainly air defense.

In particular, they developed simulators and night vision devices. Among the developments for civilians is the application "ePPO", recommended by GUR.

Where does the information come from?

"Flyuger" takes information from the "ePPO" application, i.e., from verified users who have recorded the flight of targets themselves. This is not the only source of information, the developers admit, but do not disclose details.

• Advantages: The application itself determines the distance to the threat and notifies you when you need to take care of your safety.
• Disadvantages. The correct operation of the application depends on whether the userʼs coordinates are correctly determined. During the operation of the electronic warfare (EW) system, smartphones may point the person in a different place. Although, the developers are already struggling with this problem. They have developed and are already testing updates to bypass the electronic warfare system. If the locator in the lower right corner turns red, this means that the coordinates are false, and the system will automatically transfer the user to the place of the previous successful request. In the future, they want to add the ability to remember several different locations: home, work, etc.