Russia’s Deepfake Male Faces Flood Social Media, Sanctifying War Deaths as “Holy Sacrifice”

Russia uses artificial intelligence to produce so-called “digital resurrections” of soldiers killed in Ukraine—transforming grief into a tool of manipulation. According to The Washington Post on October 5, Russian propagandists are using AI-generated videos to depict dead soldiers smiling, speaking, or walking toward “heaven,” presenting their deaths as noble and divinely justified.

The clips, costing about $30 for animation and another $30 for synthetic voice simulation, are spreading quickly through Telegram channels and the state-aligned social network VKontakte. Created from photographs and brief recordings, the AI models generate lifelike movements and voices that simulate the fallen.

The Kremlin and its supporters use these videos to sanctify aggression. Instead of mourning, they promote a cult of sacrifice, portraying Russia’s war as righteous.

As The Washington Post notes, the technology replaces genuine grief with artificial closure, suppressing questions about responsibility for the thousands of soldiers in the invasion.

“This is not remembrance—it’s indoctrination,” said a digital culture researcher cited by the paper. “The regime exploits the dead to keep the living obedient.”

Families who never receive the bodies of their relatives are now offered AI fabrications—a substitute for truth. By manipulating emotion, the Russian regime turns tragedy into propaganda, blurring the boundary between mourning and myth, The Washington Post notes..

Earlier, it was reported that researchers uncovered thousands of AI-driven Telegram accounts flooding local channels in occupied Ukrainian territories with coordinated Kremlin propaganda to simulate pro-Russian consensus.

Truth is Under Attack

Help our reporters investigate lies, verify facts, and deliver truth from Ukraine’s frontlines.

DEFEND THE TRUTH