OSINT as an instrument of political analysis of collaborationism in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine

Abstract

The article examines OSINT as a tool of political analysis of collaborationism in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. It substantiates that OSINT makes it possible to identify, document, and analyse open digital traces of collaborationist behaviour. The article emphasizes that, unlike a purely law-enforcement approach, within political science analysis OSINT is considered not merely as a means of documenting individual facts, but as an instrument for revealing the mechanisms of political adaptation, coercion, loyalty, survival, and the institutionalization of the occupation order. Particular attention is paid to the methodological caution required when using OSINT in the study of collaborationism. Open-source data from temporarily occupied territories cannot be automatically interpreted as evidence of voluntary political support for the occupation authorities. Such sources are often produced under conditions of censorship, information control, propaganda, fear, administrative pressure, forced passportization, restricted access to basic services, and the threat of repression. Therefore, the appearance of an individual in the information field of occupation structures, or their participation in certain administrative or public practices, requires additional verification, contextual interpretation, and a clear distinction between voluntary cooperation, forced adaptation, administrative survival, demonstrative loyalty, and actions carried out under direct or indirect coercion. The article demonstrates that the analytical value of OSINT lies in its capacity to move beyond the recording of fragmented facts towards the identification of stable patterns of interaction between local actors and the occupation authorities. A methodologically grounded use of OSINT requires multi-channel verification of information, source criticism, cross-checking data against alternative sources, consideration of the political and security context of occupation, and ethical handling of open digital materials. It is concluded that OSINT can serve as an effective tool for the political analysis of collaborationism only on the condition that recorded interaction with occupation structures is not mechanically equated with conscious support for the occupation regime.