Russian families are using artificial intelligence to 'resurrect' loved ones killed in the war in Ukraine. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
"The Special Military Operation is over" and "Our heroes are coming home," read billboards on a snowy Moscow street. A 15-second AI-generated clip shows a beautiful woman pushing a stroller, then embracing a man in military uniform. The video was posted by blogger Katya Jin on Instagram. In reality, her husband disappeared at the front.
Since mid-2025, AI-generated photos and videos of Russian soldiers have gained popularity on social media, mostly posted by relatives. In nearly all, soldiers are portrayed as heroes defending their country. Ukraine and the destruction of war are absent.
Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, says little is known about the long-term psychological impact. "Creating deepfakes of fallen Russian soldiers is extremely complex and ethically difficult to assess," she says.
Katya Jin posted AI videos to her 10 million TikTok followers and 50,000 Instagram followers, often with tutorials. She used her family's story as a sales pitch. Viewers could order similar videos featuring their own loved ones by submitting photos.
Anna Korableva from Kamensk-Uralsky started making AI videos in May 2025. Her "Farewell video" project helps people cope with "unfinished farewells." "In the first months, I cried almost every day," she told the BBC. Most requests come from families of soldiers killed in Ukraine.
Although the Russian government does not share reliable casualty figures, the BBC and Mediazona have verified at least 225,000 Russian soldier deaths. The real toll is believed to be much higher.
Other AI videos feature soldiers still alive. In some clips, women wrap husbands in angel wings, symbolically shielding them. These videos provoke outrage among Ukrainians. "You should be ashamed to show your 'heroes' who killed our children," one Ukrainian commented.
International AI tools are difficult to access from Russia, so people turn to creators like Katya Jin and Anna Korableva. In Russia, AI military-themed photos and videos cost between 200 and 10,000 roubles.