Russian Families Use AI to ‘Resurrect’ Loved Ones in Ukraine War

Russian families use AI to resurrect – As a stirring orchestral track sets the tone, a video captures a serene Moscow street blanketed in snow, with billboards celebrating the conclusion of the conflict in Ukraine. One such billboard proclaims, “The Special Military Operation is over,” using the Kremlin-sanctioned terminology for its campaign. It further states, “Our heroes are coming home,” evoking a sense of closure. The scene features a strikingly depicted woman in a stroller, who turns to embrace a man in uniform, her tears streaming down his face. This 15-second AI-generated clip, shared by a prominent blogger known online as Katya Jin, mirrors her and her spouse. However, in reality, the man represents countless Russian soldiers who vanished at the front lines, their fates still uncertain.

A New Wave of AI Content in Grief

Since mid-2025, AI-generated images and videos have surged in popularity across Russian social media platforms. These creations, often shared by family members of soldiers deployed in Ukraine, depict the fallen as valiant defenders of their homeland and loved ones. The war’s devastation, particularly in Ukraine, is conspicuously absent from many of these portrayals. Online reactions from Ukrainians who have viewed the content reveal a mix of emotions—some find it touching, while others describe it as unsettling and ethically ambiguous.

For grieving families, these AI constructs offer a bittersweet way to reconnect with those who are no longer physically present. In some instances, deepfakes of deceased individuals are employed during funerals, allowing mourners to experience a final embrace. The divide in public opinion is stark: while some viewers are moved to tears, others view the practice as a manipulation of memory, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

“Creating ‘deadbots’ of Russian soldiers or deepfakes of fallen troops returning from Ukraine is extremely complex and ethically difficult to assess in a clear-cut way,” says Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska, a researcher at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge. She emphasizes that the psychological and social effects of this technology on the grieving process remain largely unexplored, raising questions about its long-term implications.

Katya Jin’s AI videos, which once captivated millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram, have become a symbol of this trend. Her content, often paired with tutorials on how to generate similar clips, allowed users to customize the visuals with personal photographs and specific prompts. By combining emotional narratives with technical execution, Jin transformed her own family’s story into a template for others. Viewers could then order videos featuring their own deceased relatives, creating a personalized sense of remembrance.

Anna Korableva, from Kamensk-Uralsky, a town east of Yekaterinburg, co-founded the “Farewell video” project with her sister in May 2025. The initiative aims to help families navigate the pain of “unfinished farewells,” offering a way to digitally reunite with husbands, parents, or children. “In the early months, I cried almost every day,” Korableva recounted to the BBC. “Over time, I learned to separate my emotions from the work. I focus on the technical aspects, ensuring the videos are both beautiful and meaningful.”

While the Russian government has not disclosed reliable casualty figures, the BBC, in collaboration with Mediazona and volunteer efforts, has confirmed the deaths of at least 225,000 soldiers since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. The actual number is thought to be significantly higher, yet the AI videos often center on soldiers who have already lost their lives. This narrative choice, however, has sparked debate about how the war is being remembered and represented.

Other AI content circulating online features soldiers still active in the conflict. In these clips, women are shown wrapping their husbands in angel wings, symbolically protecting them from the harsh realities of war. The recurring imagery of a man in uniform ascending a staircase into a blue sky, sometimes surrounded by celestial figures, reinforces the idea of sacrifice and triumph. These videos, though emotionally compelling, also highlight the gap between the public’s perception of the war and its true human cost.

Katya Jin’s account, which initially drew widespread attention, has since shifted. After the BBC first reported on her work, she removed her AI-generated content from Instagram and TikTok. This decision has left many wondering whether it was a strategic move or a reaction to the emotional weight of her own creations. Her removal from the platform has not dampened the trend, as others continue to use AI to preserve memories of their lost loved ones.

The technology’s ability to recreate familiar faces and scenes has made it a powerful tool for emotional expression. Yet, it also raises concerns about authenticity and the potential for deepening the divide between those who lose their loved ones and those who remain in the war’s shadow. While families find solace in these digital remembrances, critics argue that they risk romanticizing the conflict and overlooking the suffering it has caused.

Emotional Impact and Ethical Dilemmas

Despite the ethical complexities, the emotional resonance of AI-generated videos cannot be denied. For families struggling with loss, they provide a unique opportunity to revisit moments of love and connection. However, the psychological toll of such technology is still being studied. Nowaczyk-Basińska notes that the long-term effects on grieving individuals, including the potential for prolonged mourning or emotional dependency, are areas requiring further exploration.

Some argue that these videos are a natural extension of human storytelling, blending technology with tradition. Others, however, view them as a form of digital memorialization that may distort the truth. The absence of Ukraine in many of these narratives has led to accusations of one-sided storytelling, where the perspectives of those affected on the other side are minimized. This has sparked online discussions, with some Ukrainians expressing outrage at the portrayal of their country’s destruction as secondary to the heroism of Russian soldiers.

The popularity of AI-generated content also reflects broader societal trends. In an era where digital media shapes public memory, the ability to recreate the past with a few clicks has become both a comfort and a controversy. Katya Jin’s project, for instance, turned personal grief into a shared experience, offering a template for others to fill with their own stories. The process involves submitting photographs, which are then animated into scenes that blend realism with artistic flair, allowing users to imagine their loved ones in specific contexts.

As the trend grows, it raises questions about how memory is being preserved and redefined. Are these videos a way to honor the fallen, or do they risk creating a false narrative? For families who use them, the answer is often personal. The act of seeing a beloved relative once more, even in a digital form, can be a source of comfort and closure. Yet, it also underscores the emotional labor involved in maintaining these illusions, as well as the societal pressures to present a unified front in the face of war.

With the war continuing to claim lives, the use of AI in commemorating the deceased is likely to persist. Whether viewed as a heartfelt tribute or a tool of propaganda, these videos have become a reflection of how Russians are coping with loss. As technology advances, so too does its role in shaping collective memory, offering new ways to remember, mourn, and even idealize the past. The emotional and ethical implications of this practice will undoubtedly continue to evolve, as families navigate the complexities of grief in a digital age.