How it works: where the data comes from and how far to trust it

Where the data comes from

The map is built automatically from public Telegram channels, both monitoring and regional. The list of channels and their state is open on the "Data source status" page. Each source belongs to a country: Ukrainian channels raise alerts only in Ukraine, Russian ones only over Russia.

We do not use closed data and we get nothing from the military or the authorities.

How messages are read

Each message is parsed by a program: it picks out the type of target (UAV, missile, aircraft, balloon and others), the place or places, the number of targets ("2 UAVs", "a group", "a mass attack"), and explosions and shoot-downs.

Places are looked up in a directory of towns and districts. If only a region is named, the alert covers the whole region on the map; if districts or towns are named, the alert shows on them.

How the direction is worked out

New reports about a target are joined into a chain when they fit each other in time, distance and speed. The chain gives the course and speed, and the trail behind and the forecast ahead are drawn from it.

When there is little data (one report), the direction is estimated: first from targets that flew nearby recently, then from the typical course for the region. Such an estimate is approximate, and the card of the target says what it rests on. An implausible turn is not accepted: a chain is not joined when the course differs sharply from the typical one for the region.

When an alert starts and ends

An alert on the map starts from reports of targets and ends when the targets are gone, reported as shot down, or an all-clear is reported. If the reports stop, the alert expires by itself after a set time.

This is not an official air raid alert or a siren: the map shows what the sources wrote.

Shot-down targets

Reports of shoot-downs reduce the number of targets in a group. When all are down, the marker disappears. The counters on the "Shot down" page are counted from the reports the map has taken in and may differ from official reports.

Reports from people

Users can mark an event on the map and confirm the marks of others. A mark shows as unconfirmed until other people nearby confirm it. The number of marks is limited so they cannot be used for spam.

Accuracy and limits

The information may be late, incomplete or inaccurate. In checks on past targets, the direction on the map matched the actual one within 30° in about two cases out of three, but the sample is small and the result changes over time.

Do not use the map as the only source for safety decisions: follow the signals of the official services.

How the AirAlerts map collects data from public channels, works out the direction of targets and what its limits are.