How about the following.
At the beginning of the mission (briefing screen), it states that Xenonauts spotted, for instance, N warehouses, X office buildings, and whether there are defending forces ("gunfire was observed before landing"). The numbers need not be strictly correct (maybe vary by 1 or 2 -- things get confusing before a landing) but will give the player a vague idea of what to expect without giving too much away. Night missions and higher difficulty levels would reduce accuracy of reports further or eliminate them altogether.