Thomas Bordeaux

The Vanishing Act: How Assad’s Top Henchmen Fled Syria, and Justice

When Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed in Syria, many of the officials who enabled and enforced his brutal regime disappeared. Our reporting uncovers who they are, what they did and where they fled. nyti.ms/3J1W5Cs

We searched near the flight paths (we had about a 10 minute range we knew the satellite image was taken in) not sure about a general moving objects tool, but some really impressive algorithms have been written for planes utilizing parallax ie: www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13...

We split the individual Sentinel-2 bands out to animate the B-52 flying, but the two planes can also be seen here, appearing three times due to the red, green, and blue bands being captured separately.

Caught on satellite: a B-52 bomber flies above the Caribbean on October 15th, less than 150 miles from the Venezuelan coast. More on the escalating US military campaign here: www.cnn.com/2025/10/15/p...

This is an absolutely brilliant piece and well worth the read - "'I think the visual lexicon of open-source investigation is something that the Israelis have co-opted as a way to try to delegitimize [those investigations] and confuse,' said Elizabeth Breiner..."

When Trauma Finds You Sometimes, trauma finds you while you’re waiting for it, when your body is tense anticipating its appearance. Your guard is up. Somehow, you soften its blows. Sometimes, though, trauma finds …

I wrote about how vicarious trauma can find you when you least expect it, through two experiences that I've had while working with images as an open source researcher.

Neither were graphic.

Both had a serious impact on me.

giancarlofiorella.com/2025/10/04/w...

Visual evidence upends Israel’s official story for deadly attack on Gaza hospital Israeli troops say they targeted a Hamas camera in an August strike, but a Reuters investigation found the device belonged to one of the news agency’s journalists. An Israeli official now says troops fired without required approval. The five journalists who died in the strike are among 200 killed by Israel that it has yet to fully explain.

On Aug 25, Israeli defense forces attacked a Gaza hospital, killing our colleague Hussam al-Masri. We spent the last few weeks reviewing footage and interviewing witnesses. The visual evidence contradicts Israel’s official story.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...

Tent camps can be seen southeast of Gaza City on August 9, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC)

In an image taken on September 5, 2025, they are no longer visible. (Planet Labs PBC)

Around the perimeter of Gaza City, rows of tents that were used for shelter have completely disappeared in just a matter of weeks - the displaced Palestinians living there have been forcibly displaced again.

Over 1,800 buildings damaged or destroyed in Gaza City in one month Israel expanded operations to Gaza City in early August, destroying buildings with systematic bulldozing and airstrikes. Damage has been concentrated in the Zeitoun and Jabalya neighborhoods, with demolitions increasingly moving toward the center of Gaza City, according to CNN analysis of satellite imagery.

The damage is particularly severe in al-Zeitoun and Jabalya - and the vast majority of it has been caused not by airstrikes or combat, but by the Israeli military slowly carrying out block-by-block demolitions with excavators and bulldozers.

Satellite images reveal wide destruction in Gaza City as Israel steps up assault | CNN In the weeks since Israel announced plans to take over Gaza City, its military has destroyed or damaged more than 1,800 buildings in and around the city, CNN analysis has found.

We analysed satellite imagery over Gaza City in the last month and found that the Israeli military has damaged or destroyed at least 1800 buildings - the opening moves of its stated intention to invade and occupy the city. w/ Zeena Saifi

Israel struck Gaza's Nasser Hospital four times, analysis finds New footage has revealed that two more strikes were carried out on hospital by Israel than initially reported.

NEW: Israel struck Nasser Hospital at least 4 times in its attack which killed journalists, BBC Verify found.

We found Israel hit two staircases in the first wave. Minutes later it struck one of the staircases twice more.

@benedictgarman.com @sebkilli.bsky.social

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Israel has faced global condemnation for back-to-back strikes on the biggest hospital in southern Gaza this week, which killed at least 22 people, including health workers, emergency response crews and five journalists. https://cnn.it/462x8OS

New video reveals third strike in deadly ‘double-tap’ attack on Gaza hospital | CNN Israel has faced global condemnation for back-to-back strikes on the biggest hospital in southern Gaza this week, which killed at least 22 people, including health workers, emergency response crews a...

The full article, written and researched by CNN's Lauren Kent, @gianlucamezzo.bsky.social, Sarah El Sirgany, Abeer Salman, and me, is here: www.cnn.com/2025/08/27/m...

The five journalists killed were Reuters contractor Al-Masri, freelance visual journalists Mariam Abu Dagga and Moath Abu Taha, who both worked with the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters throughout the war, freelance journalist Ahmed Abu Aziz, and Mohammad Salama, a cameraman for Al Jazeera in Gaza.

Combined, Israel's back-to-back strikes on Nasser Hospital killed at least 22 people, including health workers, emergency response crews, and five journalists.

A satellite image taken by Planet Labs on August 22 shows more than a dozen combat vehicles, including tanks, at an IDF base 1.5 miles northeast of Nasser Hospital. Multiple IDF bases are further northeast. It is not clear whether the shells came from those nearby tanks or from another IDF position.

Video shows the projectiles that hit the hospital staircase were coming from the northeast and were consistent with tank shells, according to an analysis by @easybakeovensz.bsky.social, a former US Army senior explosive ordnance disposal team member.

Jenzen Jones, the director of Armament Research Services, also said that the two near-simultaneous shells seen in the new video are likely to be from “multi-purpose” tank guns, such as the Israeli M339 model.

New video reveals third strike in deadly ‘double-tap’ attack on Gaza hospital | CNN Israel has faced global condemnation for back-to-back strikes on the biggest hospital in southern Gaza this week, which killed at least 22 people, including health workers, emergency response crews a...

New video analysis reveals that the second “tap”
the IDF fired at a group of first-responders and journalists on Monday was in fact two near-simultaneous tank rounds.

"It’s hard to read too much into that, but it suggests a more carefully coordinated attack," said weapons expert N.R. Jenzen-Jones.

‘It’s a type of torture’: Hear what it’s like inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ | CNN Politics CNN talked to immigrants being detained at the Florida facility and created a 3D model to explore what conditions are like inside. CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez reports.

Detainees inside Alligator Alcatraz told CNN about their experiences there, including relentless mosquitoes, open toilets, and lights kept on 24/7.

Reporters haven't been allowed inside the prison since it opened, so we built a 3D model to take you inside — and hear from the detainees firsthand.

Masked, Armed and Forceful: Finding Patterns in Los Angeles Immigration Raids - bellingcat Bellingcat collected videos and images from recent immigration raids in Los Angeles, analysing trends and apparent tactics used by law enforcement.

Armed officers, frequent use of force and people grabbed on the street or at their places of work. Working with @evidentmedia.org and @calmatters.org we have monitored the LA raids, discovering recurring trends and tactics used by officers. www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/07...

We’re waiting on post strike satellite imagery of Fordow, but one detail that I haven’t seen anywhere besides our reporting for CNN is that images taken before the strike suggest there may have been attempts to reinforce the tunnel entrances. w/ @isaacyeephoto.bsky.social @averyschmitz.bsky.social

The B-2s that were in Diego Garcia in April have since returned, as far as I'm aware - they're not in satellite imagery of the base anymore, though a few could fit in the hardened shelters. This group of B-2s is looking like it's headed to Guam for now.

No, thank you!!

US moves B-2 bombers as Trump weighs Iran options | CNN Politics Multiple US B-2 bombers appear to have taken off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on Friday night and are heading west, according to flight tracking data CNN has reviewed, as President Donald ...

The US military is repositioning B-2 bombers as President Trump decides on US involvement in Israel’s attacks on Iran.

HUGE shout out to @vcdgf555.bsky.social and @thenewarea51 on Twitter for being the first to share about these movements! www.cnn.com/2025/06/21/p...

Watch: CNN investigates Israel’s strikes on key Iranian officials — and their civilian toll | CNN Israel’s strikes not only took out top Iranian leaders, they also caused civilian deaths. CNN’s Katie Polglase breaks down the human toll at the locations where top Iranian officials were killed.

Investigating Israel's strikes on Iran and their impact on civilians. We cross referenced addresses of Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists from a public database with geolocated footage of strikes.

@pallabimunsi.bsky.social & Oscar Featherstone

edition.cnn.com/2025/06/19/w...

YouTube video by CNN CNN analysis explores cause of deadly Dominican nightclub roof collapse

NEW: How structural flaws reduced a Dominican nightclub to rubble

Watch our investigation of the Jet Set club collapse which killed over 230 people in April

From @stepozzebon.bsky.social, @thomasbordeaux.bsky.social, Anyi Lizardo, Maddie Araujo, and me:
youtu.be/H5UpgvxSc1A?...

YouTube video by CNN CNN analysis explores cause of deadly Dominican nightclub roof collapse

235 people were killed in April when the roof of the Jet Set nightclub came crashing down during a packed concert. We found that for years before the collapse, structural issues and warning signs went unaddressed. w/ @stepozzebon.bsky.social and @averyschmitz.bsky.social for CNN youtu.be/H5UpgvxSc1A

Visualizing Israeli airstrikes on Iran and retaliation in maps | CNN CNN is tracking where the attacks are happening and which Iranian nuclear facilities have been targeted.

New from CNN's graphics and OSINT teams: We visualized the fighting between Iran and Israel in a set of maps and annotated satellite images here: www.cnn.com/world/middle...

How Israel’s campaign to wipe out Iran’s nuclear program unfolded | CNN A CNN analysis of satellite imagery and dozens of videos shared on social media offers insight into how Israel’s wide-ranging operation unfolded across the country.

We've got a super exciting slate of investigations in the coming weeks and months, but for now, here's my first byline at CNN, about the Israeli strikes on Iran. www.cnn.com/2025/06/13/m...