NetherlandsOwnership & classification
Founded: 2014
Ownership
Bellingcat is an open-source investigative outlet founded in July 2014 by British citizen-journalist Eliot Higgins, who initially funded it via a Kickstarter campaign. Since 2018 the website has been operated by the Netherlands-based non-profit Stichting Bellingcat (Bellingcat Foundation), with an associated Bellingcat Productions BV; Higgins is its creative director. It is an independent NGO, not owned by any state, party or corporate parent.
Funding
Funded through grants from foundations and democracy/press-freedom funders (including the Open Society Foundations, National Endowment for Democracy, Porticus and Adessium), plus a major prize from the Dutch Postcode Lottery, alongside reader donations, workshops and in-kind tech support. It accepts no funding from governments it investigates.
Affiliation & stance
A non-partisan investigative collective best known for open-source work on MH17, Syria chemical attacks and the Navalny poisoning; critics on the left have flagged some of its US/European democracy-fund grants, but it operates as an independent Dutch foundation without party or state ownership. It is therefore INDEPENDENT (CENTER_LEFT is a reasonable read of its outlook).
Editorial lean
- Our estimate
- Lean Progressive
- Measured from coverage
- Centerbased on 9
83/100
Factual
76/100
Objective
10
Articles
10
reports
Factual: How accurately its articles report the facts, judged against primary sources and the cross-outlet consensus. Only articles that cite their sources are counted.
Objective: How neutral the writing is — whether reporting keeps the writer’s own preferences and opinions out of the article.
Recent coverage
Satellite Imagery Documents New Border Patrol Road Construction in Big Bend National Park
Bellingcat has analyzed satellite imagery revealing over five miles of new road construction within Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas, part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 'Smart Wall' initiative. The project, which includes roads, barriers, lighting, and cameras, faced opposition from local residents, politicians, and environmental groups, leading to a temporary pause. The roads run alongside the Rio Grande, through floodplains and riparian forests, and pass near several park areas including Cottonwood Campground, Santa Elena Canyon, and Mariscal Canyon. Planet Labs imagery from late August 2026 shows these developments, with some images indicating construction equipment and prior sightings of bulldozers. The CBP commissioner referred to the work as 'survey and design,' but critics argue the construction impacts the environment, recreation access, and local economy.
Welcome to Dubai: Kinahan Cartel’s Visas Revealed
Bellingcat and The Sunday Times investigated the immigration records of the Kinahan cartel, a major international criminal organization based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Their research revealed that Christopher Kinahan Jr., a sanctioned member of the cartel, recently received a new residence permit in Dubai despite being wanted globally and having a $5 million reward for his capture. The investigation also uncovered the residency statuses of other cartel members, some of whom are believed to be working under fake identities through previously unknown companies. Despite sanctions imposed by the U.S. government and asset freezes reported by the UAE, the cartel appears to continue operating within the Emirates. This follows the recent extradition of Daniel Kinahan, another key figure, back to Ireland after losing his final appeal.
Will Ronaldo Cry? World Cup Fans Bet Billions Through Prediction Markets
A Bellingcat analysis revealed that football fans wagered over $14 billion on the FIFA World Cup through prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi. Users traded on nearly 60,000 outcomes, including bets on the Golden Boot sponsor and whether Cristiano Ronaldo would cry during a match. The World Cup, held in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, was expected to be the largest betting event in history, with predictions of up to $50 billion in wagers. Prediction markets function like stock exchanges, allowing users to bet on real-world events with prices reflecting market beliefs. Analysis showed that 1% of Polymarket accounts captured 86% of winnings, while the bottom 50% earned just 0.1%. The study highlighted concerns about market manipulation and unregulated gambling, noting that algorithmic traders likely dominated profits despite limited visibility into such activity.
Shahed-Type Drones Filmed During Mali Village Attacks
Bellingcat has geolocated footage showing Shahed-136 type drones being used in attacks on villages in northern Mali. The strikes occurred in Inafarak on July 12 and Talahandak on July 17, 2026. Experts suggest the drones are likely Russian-made, citing the involvement of the Kremlin-controlled Africa Corps and patterns of Russian military support. The footage provides the first verified visual confirmation of these drones in action. Previous reports by Defence Blog and France 24 indicated Russian drones were present, but this is the first clear evidence of their operational use. The attacks targeted commercial facilities, causing significant damage. The use of these drones marks a growing Russian military presence in Mali, supporting the Malian Armed Forces against rebels.
Identifying the Crypto Entrepreneur Linked to Popular Forum Trading in ‘Leaked’ Nudes of Women
In 2024, Steve Waithe, a former track and field coach in Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to extort over 100 women, including student-athletes he coached, into sending him intimate photos. According to a 2021 criminal complaint, Waithe stole photos from victims' phones under the guise of filming their form during practice and created fake online accounts to lure victims into sharing more images. He also hired someone else in 2020 to hack into the Snapchat accounts of women he coached or had relationships with to steal and distribute nude images. Bellingcat investigated further and discovered that the forum 'LeakedBB,' where such activities occurred, appears to be linked to Jitendra Maharaj, a Christchurch-based former pilot and co-founder of a cryptocurrency startup called Pay It Now (PIN). Despite being contacted by The Press, Maharaj did not respond, and the website LeakedBB became inaccessible shortly after.
Between Graves and Uncertainty: The Management of the Dead After Venezuela’s Earthquake
Bellingcat has analyzed social media footage and reported on the management of dead bodies after deadly earthquakes in Venezuela. The footage shows coffins being placed in newly dug trenches near La Esperanza, a town near La Guaira. This site was previously identified by AFP and Deutsche Welle, which reported that 150 unidentified bodies had been buried in a line of individual graves, marked with numbered plots and codes for future identification. Reuters also documented the site, showing coffins arriving on trucks. Over 3,500 deaths have been confirmed, with the potential for the toll to exceed 10,000. Oran Finegan, an expert in forensic action, explained that while individual graves are preferred, large-scale disasters often lead to the use of long trenches for unidentified bodies due to logistical challenges. The ICRC provides guidelines for handling such situations, distinguishing between temporary common graves and permanent mass graves.
Burning Forests: Tools for Tracking and Reporting Wildfire Damage
This article discusses tools and methods for tracking and analyzing wildfire damage using satellite imagery and open-source data. It highlights the use of NASA's Landsat program and the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 satellites to visualize fire spread and assess burn severity. The focus is on the Zingaro Nature Reserve in Sicily, which suffered significant wildfires in 2025, leading to ongoing closures in parts of the area. The article explains how to combine satellite data with software like QGIS to analyze fire patterns and their impact on ecosystems, particularly in regions affected by climate change.
Satellite Imagery Shows Scale of Venezuela Earthquake Damage
Two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Venezuela, resulting in at least 1,719 confirmed deaths, with the death toll likely to increase. The disaster has caused widespread structural damage, particularly in coastal towns like La Guaira, where satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC shows collapsed buildings and apartment blocks. Social media platforms and news outlets have played a critical role in disseminating information about missing persons and recovery efforts. While some media outlets highlight residents' frustration with the Venezuelan government's handling of the crisis, the focus remains on the physical devastation and the use of advanced imaging technology to document the extent of the damage. The article emphasizes the importance of independent verification through satellite data and highlights ongoing challenges in assessing the full impact of the quakes.
Poster Boy: Sanctioned Kinahan Cartel Lieutenant Found Playing Padel in Dubai
Bellingcat, in collaboration with The Sunday Times, has uncovered new information about Ian Dixon, a key member of the Kinahan cartel, an Irish organized crime group linked to drug trafficking, money laundering, and arms smuggling. Dixon, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022 as part of efforts to disrupt the $1.5 billion transnational network, has been seen playing padel in Dubai, marking the first public appearance of him in nearly a decade. The report highlights how his participation in the sport has left a digital footprint, leading to the discovery of his current alias in Dubai and connections to an underworld associate recently extradited from the UAE and jailed in Scotland. Meanwhile, Daniel Kinahan, the cartel's leader, remains under arrest in Dubai and faces extradition to Ireland following a warrant issued by Irish authorities.
How to Use AI to Help Find Civilian Harm
Bellingcat, a digital journalism organization, has developed a machine learning model to help identify incidents of civilian harm on Telegram during the Russia-Ukraine war. Between February 2022 and September 2025, they collected over 2,500 verified cases of civilian harm, using these to train the model. The system significantly reduces the time needed to sift through vast volumes of user-generated content, allowing researchers to focus on verification rather than discovery. The model considers both direct harm (deaths, injuries) and indirect impacts like mental trauma, displacement, and infrastructure damage. To improve accuracy, the team created a dataset of 5,848 confirmed harmful posts and 48,545 non-harmful posts, ensuring the model reflects real-world proportions. The project highlights the potential of AI tools in open-source conflict research while emphasizing ethical considerations.