An online map of the war in Ukraine helps visualize what can be difficult to understand from written military reports alone: where the main combat zones are located, which territories are under Russian occupation, where the situation has changed, and how the frontline looked on previous days.
One of the most widely used tools for this purpose in Ukraine is DeepStateMap, a public interactive map developed by the Ukrainian analytical project DeepStateUA. It has become a prominent source for tracking changes along the frontline and is regularly referenced by Ukrainian and international media and analysts. Reuters, for example, has cited DeepState data when assessing territorial changes, while Le Monde described the map in 2026 as a tool used by numerous international analytical organizations.
At the same time, DeepStateMap is not an official map of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and should not be treated as a military situational-awareness or command system. It is an analytical visualization based on information verified by the DeepState team from open sources and other data available to them.
What the DeepStateMap war map shows
DeepStateMap allows users to visually track changes in territorial control and understand the broader configuration of the frontline in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The map displays:
territories under Russian occupation;
territories liberated by Ukraine;
recently liberated areas;
areas of Russian troop infiltration;
identified Russian military units;
Russian command headquarters and airfields;
Russian naval assets;
directions of attacks;
other objects and information layers available through the map interface.
The official descriptions of the DeepStateMap application on Google Play and the App Store also mention the ability to view the locations and movements of Russian military units, access a news feed, measure distances, and use additional information layers.
The positions of Ukrainian military units are not displayed in the public version of the map as an equivalent open set of military markers.
What the colors on DeepStateMap mean
The colored areas provide a quick overview of the general situation on a particular section of the frontline.
The main designations are:
Red — territory shown by the map as being under Russian occupation.
Green — territory liberated by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
Blue — territory liberated during the most recent period. Official descriptions of the application refer to areas liberated within the previous two weeks.
Grey requires a separate explanation because the meaning of this designation has changed.
Earlier DeepStateMap descriptions generally defined grey areas as territories where the situation required clarification. In 2026, the DeepState team explained a new interpretation: grey now represents areas where Russian forces have infiltrated.
This change reflects the evolving nature of the battlefield. Because of the increasing use of small infantry groups, infiltration between established positions, and the widespread role of drones, there is no longer always a clearly defined line with only Ukrainian forces on one side and Russian forces on the other. DeepState has noted that, on certain sectors, positions held by the two sides may effectively overlap or intermix.
For this reason, a grey zone should not automatically be interpreted as “no man's land,” an area fully controlled by one side, or a precise geographical frontline.
Is the war map updated in real time?
Not literally.
DeepState regularly updates the map after receiving and verifying new information. The team publishes notices about map changes through its official Telegram channel and encourages users to report possible inaccuracies.
However, the markings on the map should not be interpreted as real-time battlefield telemetry.
The team analyzes and cross-checks information before adding it to the map. According to Le Monde, DeepState relies on a broad network of contacts within the Ukrainian military, verifies and compares incoming information, and may deliberately delay certain updates when immediate publication could create risks for Ukrainian troops.
As a result, some time may pass between an actual change on a particular section of the frontline and its appearance on the public map.
This is not simply a flaw that could be eliminated by “updating faster.” For a wartime map, accuracy and operational security can sometimes be more important than publication speed.
Where DeepState gets its information
The project's complete internal methodology is not publicly disclosed, which is understandable for a map dealing with sensitive wartime information.
It is known that the team uses OSINT — open-source intelligence — including geolocation of photographs and videos, analysis of public reports, and cross-checking information from multiple sources.
In a March 2026 report, Le Monde noted that information is verified, compared, and corroborated, and that a significant part of DeepState's work also relies on a network of contacts within the Ukrainian military.
This is why a territory does not necessarily change color on the map immediately after a single video, Telegram post, or statement from one of the parties appears.
The team may continue verifying information when the available evidence is insufficient or when different sources contradict each other. In one of its 2026 explanations, DeepState explicitly stated that military reports concerning a change in control over a particular area still required additional verification before the map designation could be changed.
Why DeepStateMap may differ from General Staff reports
These sources serve different purposes.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine regularly publishes operational reports describing the number of combat engagements, enemy activity, and the situation on specific operational axes. Such reports are issued throughout the day and provide information as of a stated time.
DeepState converts available and verified information into a geographical model of territorial control.
For this reason, a written report stating that fighting is taking place near a particular settlement does not automatically mean that the line on the map should be moved immediately. “Fighting near,” “the enemy attacked,” “enemy forces infiltrated,” and “the territory came under sustained control” describe different situations.
This is one reason why the map is best used together with official military reports rather than as a replacement for them.
History of changes on the map
One of the most useful features of DeepStateMap is the ability to review the frontline situation on previous dates.
The interface includes a timeline and comparison tools that allow users to see how territorial markings changed over time.
This can be significantly more informative than focusing only on day-to-day changes.
A movement of several hundred metres on a single sector may appear insignificant on a map of the whole country, but comparisons across several weeks or months can reveal broader trends: stabilization of the frontline, gradual advances, the emergence of infiltration zones, or the return of territory to Ukrainian control.
At the same time, DeepState's historical view represents how the team assessed the situation on a particular date, not an absolute reconstruction of the precise location of every military unit at a specific minute.
Additional DeepStateMap features
The map has evolved well beyond a simple color-coded representation of territorial control.
Confirmed features include:
Search and navigation
Users can locate a particular section of the map and examine a specific area in greater detail.
History and comparison
The situation can be viewed for different dates and changes can be compared over time.
Distance measurement
The map includes a tool for measuring distances between selected points. This function is also listed in the application's official description.
Fire and thermal anomaly data
DeepStateMap can display information from NASA FIRMS, a satellite-based system used to monitor active fires and thermal anomalies.
These points should not automatically be interpreted as explosions, artillery strikes, or combat activity. NASA FIRMS detects thermal anomalies using satellite data, and determining their cause requires additional interpretation.
Range visualization for selected systems
The official application description also lists a dedicated mode for visualizing the range of different artillery systems.
This tool should be regarded solely as an informational visualization of system characteristics, not as a source for real-world operational planning.
Mobile application and caching
DeepState provides official applications for Android and iOS. The mobile application description also mentions caching downloaded map data.
How to use the war map correctly
DeepStateMap is best understood not as an answer to the question “what is happening at this exact location right now?” but as a tool for understanding the broader configuration and dynamics of the frontline.
A practical approach for an ordinary reader is straightforward:
Find the relevant area on DeepStateMap.
Look not only at the color of the territory, but also at adjacent zones and the date of the map.
Compare the situation with previous dates if necessary.
Check operational updates from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other official sources.
Do not draw conclusions about the actual situation from a single marker or an unverified social media report.
Different sources may show discrepancies, particularly in areas experiencing intense fighting or infiltration by small groups.
DeepState itself explained in 2026 that on some sections of the battlefield, the traditional concept of a clearly defined line of contact no longer accurately reflects reality.
What the war map should not be used for
DeepStateMap is not intended for identifying safe routes, planning evacuations, travelling near the frontline, or preparing any type of operation.
A public map may:
lag behind the actual battlefield situation;
include areas whose status is still being verified;
omit information known to the team for security reasons;
simplify an extremely complex battlefield environment into colored polygons;
fail to reflect threats from artillery, aviation, FPV drones, mines, and other hazards far beyond a visually marked frontline.
It is particularly dangerous to assume that an area is safe simply because it is not marked in red or grey.
A public frontline map shows the territorial situation, not the boundary of a safe area.
Can DeepState be considered a reliable source?
DeepStateMap has become an influential source for analysing the Russia-Ukraine war, but it is more accurate to view it not as a source that “never makes mistakes,” but as an analytical product with its own methodology, verification procedures, and limitations.
International media regularly use DeepState data. Reuters, for example, has cited the map when assessing territorial changes during 2025 and 2026.
In March 2026, Le Monde described DeepStateMap as a tool used by numerous international analytical organizations and highlighted both the team's verification procedures and its principle of withholding information when publication could endanger Ukrainian forces.
This does not mean that every metre of a mapped line should be treated as an indisputable fact. The modern battlefield is becoming increasingly difficult to represent with a single clear line, which is precisely why DeepState changed its approach to displaying infiltration areas in 2026.
Who creates DeepStateMap
DeepStateMap is developed by the Ukrainian DeepStateUA project. The project was founded by Ruslan Mykula and Roman Pohorilyi. Their team works on battlefield analysis, information verification, OSINT, and the technical development and maintenance of the mapping platform.
Work on the map combines analysis of publicly available materials, geolocation of photos and videos, cross-checking information from different sources, and information from contacts that the team attempts to verify independently.
This approach explains why map updates sometimes appear later than the first reports of a change in the situation: publishing unverified information can create a misleading picture of the frontline, while prematurely disclosing confirmed information can pose a risk to Ukrainian military personnel.
The war map and official reports complement each other
No single source is sufficient for understanding the situation on the frontline.
DeepStateMap is useful for visualizing geographical changes. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine publishes official operational information about combat engagements and the situation on different operational axes. Analytical materials can help explain the causes and significance of particular developments.
Used together, these sources provide a much more complete picture than a simple list of place names or a single screenshot of a map.
The key is to understand the limits of precision. DeepStateMap presents the team's verified model of the frontline situation at a particular point in time, but the war itself remains far more dynamic and complex than any online map can fully represent.
