Roman Pohorilyi was just 22 when he began observing Russian military build-ups close to Ukraine’s frontier in the fall of 2021. Together with a lifelong buddy, Ruslan Mykula, they disseminated global current events to roughly 200 followers via a Telegram group. Initially, their effort was purely recreational. Little did they know, within a year, Ukraine would be engulfed in a dire war with Russia, and their casual project, named Deep State, would encompass detailed coverage of the conflict.
Deep State, which started merely as a news outlet, gained acclaim primarily for its readily accessible map that delineates the evolving confrontation lines of the Russian incursion. This tool has proved vital for Ukrainians monitoring the conflict that once seemed poised to engulf their nation. At its peak in late 2022, Deep State’s map drew around 3 million views daily. Mykula shared with WIRED a screenshot from the website’s analysis, showing over 482 million views from June 2023 to June 2024.
On the onset of hostilities, Mykula and Pohorilyi launched the map, spurred by their Telegram followers’ pressing need for regular updates on the unfolding events. At the time, Pohorilyi was nearing the end of his law studies, and Mykula was employed in marketing. They had both been acquiring open-source intelligence skills, essential for authenticating numerous military activity videos circulated online.
The map, simplistic yet meticulously accurate and designed with assistance from a friend, displays Russian-controlled zones in red and Ukrainian territories in green. Areas Ukraine recently reclaimed are shown in blue. Notable Russian units, airbases, and headquarters are denoted with small red squares; troop movement by arrows; and railways by black and white lines (Ukrainian positions are omitted). On zooming in, viewers can scrutinize details down to individual streets, villages, and treelines, resembling a computer strategy game’s board.
Over time, Deep State has enhanced its map with more sophisticated tools. A toolbar located at the bottom-left allows users to activate various layers such as weather conditions, fortifications, and gamma radiation levels for nuclear scenarios. It also enables simulation of diverse weapons, calculating their range and potential damage, including self-propelled howitzers, ballistic missiles, Patriot air defense systems, and nuclear blasts. An interesting hidden feature is an animation of Baby Yoda who, when activated, uses the Force to obliterate Russian units.
Due to its complexity, the map’s maintenance soon exceeded the capabilities of Mykula and Pohorilyi alone; currently, they are assisted by over 100 paid workers and volunteers. Their verification techniques have evolved from relying solely on open source intelligence to also incorporating direct data from military units on the front lines, with whom they have established connections. Sometimes they depend on trusted singular sources, though errors have occurred. If data sources conflict, they wait for conclusive evidence. Both sides are plagued with propaganda, but Mykula firmly states that Deep State does not engage in such tactics, emphasizing, “We want to win. Propaganda will not win.”
At times, Mykula and Pohorilyi comply with Ukrainian military leaders’ requests to delay updates that could risk operational security. They also obtain some government funding for a restricted version of the map intended only for verified military personnel; this funding extends to other undisclosed intelligence operations, though they primarily rely on public contributions.
In the first year of the conflict, Mykula and Pohorilyi discovered that their map also aided an unexpected group: Russian soldiers. A special feature indicates surrender instructions if accessed from a Russian IP. Following this, in October 2022, during an interview with a popular Ukrainian blogger, a Russian POW disclosed using the Deep State’s map precisely for that reason.
The growing popularity of Deep State’s map has drawn a significant increase in followers to their principal Telegram channel, now boasting over 700,000 subscribers. The channel not only shares maps but also offers original war reports, all accessible via a freely available app, which is also referenced by other prominent Ukrainian media outlets. Yet, it is the map that stands as their most sought-after feature, relied upon by Ukrainians both domestically and internationally to monitor the shifting front lines that edge ever closer to their headquarters in Kyiv.
Mykula and Pohorilyi handle their roles with a grave sense of responsibility that seems to exceed what might be expected from their relatively young ages and limited experience. “We feel a deep commitment not to let our followers down, as our projects have become indispensable to Ukrainians,” states Mykula. “Unlike other maps, Ukrainians exclusively refer to ours for updates.”
This article was originally featured in the September/October 2024 issue of WIRED UK.
