@article{019ab55b-6691-718d-b9f2-b94d5aaf5d35,
author = {Żaneta Gwardzińska-Chowaniec},
title = {The Role of Open-Source Intelligence in Protecting Cultural Heritage During Armed Conflict: The Case of Ukraine},
journal = {Santander Art and Culture Law Review},
volume = {2025},
number = {2/2025 (11)},
year = {2025},
issn = {2391-7997},
pages = {223-244},keywords = {OSINT; information security; internal security; protection of monuments},
abstract = {Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, along with the resulting destruction and threats to cultural heritage, poses a major challenge to documenting the scale of the damage and identifying the perpetrators. Recent practice has demonstrated the significant value of information obtained through open-source intelligence (OSINT). The growing recognition of the importance of such information, and the need to safeguard it, highlights the interdependence between information security and the protection of cultural heritage. As information security often depends on visual documentation, this article uses data collected through OSINT to analyse cultural heritage losses in Ukraine between 24 February 2022 (the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion) and 3 July 2025. The objective is to determine whether, and to what extent, information gathered via OSINT can serve as admissible evidence in criminal proceedings before international courts and tribunals when adjudicating crimes against cultural heritage committed during the war against Ukraine. Based on the material, the article posits that the collection and processing of information using OSINT should form the foundation of an institutionalized cultural heritage management system. The discussion is supported by maps and illustrations that visualize the research problem and demonstrate the potential of OSINT in documenting and safeguarding cultural heritage during armed conflicts.},
doi = {10.4467/2450050XSNR.25.024.22689},
url = {https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/saaclr/artykul/the-role-of-open-source-intelligence-in-protecting-cultural-heritage-during-armed-conflict-the-case-of-ukraine}
}