AI-generated videos and images depicting Russian soldiers killed or missing in Ukraine as returning home to embrace their families have gone viral on social media since mid-2025. The content is primarily commissioned by relatives of servicemen fighting in the war.

Popular blogger Katya Jin posted a 15-second AI clip on Instagram showing a snowy Moscow street with billboards reading 'The Special Military Operation is over' and a woman tearfully reuniting with her husband in uniform. In reality, her husband disappeared at the front. After being contacted by the BBC, she removed all AI content from her accounts.

Anna Korableva from Kamensk-Uralsky launched a 'Farewell video' project in May 2025. She says most requests come from families of soldiers killed in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. 'In the first months, I cried almost every day,' she told the BBC. 'Over time, I learned to separate my emotions from work.'

According to BBC and Mediazona, at least 225,000 Russian soldiers have been confirmed killed in the war, with the real toll believed to be much higher. The Russian government does not release reliable casualty figures.

Prices for AI videos range from 200 roubles (£2) to 10,000 roubles (£100). Some creators, such as Ulyana Lebed, earn 150,000-200,000 roubles (£1,500-£2,000) per month—roughly double the average Russian salary. Critics accuse them of profiting from grief.

Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, describes the practice as 'deeply problematic' ethically. She notes it is unclear whether such visualizations help or deepen grief. Some clients admitted the videos did not ease their pain, while others expressed gratitude for 'the opportunity to be with my loved one.'

Source: www.bbc.com