Russian families use AI to 'resurrect' loved ones killed in Ukraine

What Happened

Since mid-2025, Russian families have been using AI-generated deepfake videos to depict soldiers killed in Ukraine returning home as heroes, embracing loved ones, or ascending to heaven. Creators like Katya Jin (with 10 million TikTok followers) and Anna Korableva (who launched her 'Farewell video' project in May 2025) produce these clips, often for a fee ranging from 200 to 10,000 roubles. According to Korableva, most requests come from families of soldiers killed since the 2022 full-scale invasion. The BBC, together with Mediazona and volunteers, has verified at least 225,000 Russian soldier deaths, though the actual toll is believed higher. AI creator Ulyana Lebed, married to a Russian serviceman, told the BBC she earns 150,000–200,000 roubles per month, around twice the Russian average wage. Katya Jin removed her AI content from Instagram and TikTok after the BBC first reported on her story. The practice has provoked sharp reactions: some Russians find it comforting, while others condemn it as exploitative; Ukrainians have expressed outrage, calling it shameful to glorify those 'killing our children.' International generative AI tools have become difficult to access from Russia, driving users to local creators and fueling a profit-making 'digital afterlife' industry.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The phenomenon exposes the domestic emotional and commercial dimensions of Russia's war dead, filling a gap left by authorities who avoid publicizing casualty figures. It illustrates how international sanctions and tool restrictions inadvertently foster a local profit-driven 'digital afterlife' market. The ethical debate—juxtaposing grief commodification against psychological coping—mirrors broader struggles over memory and narrative control. The videos reinforce a sanitized hero narrative that omits destruction in Ukraine, drawing condemnation from Ukrainians and highlighting the contested space of wartime mourning in an age of accessible synthetic media.

Watch For

Monitor whether Katya Jin resumes AI content after her takedown, and whether other creators like Korableva and Lebed continue to expand their services. Watch for any Russian regulatory response—either crackdowns to suppress unintended casualty acknowledgment or tacit endorsement of these narratives. Observe Ukrainian digital activism countering such content and academic research into the long-term psychological effects of using deepfakes in grief. Also, note any further BBC or Mediazona investigations that could quantify the scale of this industry.