Russian families of soldiers killed in Ukraine are using AI-generated videos to reconnect with their deceased loved ones, providing a form of closure. Some say these videos offer a chance for forgiveness they never had in real life.

For creators noticing a growing demand for military-themed content, it's also an opportunity for significant profit.

In Moscow, billboards proclaim, "Special Military Operation successfully concluded. Our heroes are returning," using the Kremlin-endorsed term for the Ukraine invasion.

A woman pushing a stroller stops in the rain, turning to see a soldier in uniform holding a bouquet of roses. She rushes into his arms, tears of joy streaming down her face. This 15-second video was posted by popular blogger Katja Đin (real name: Ekaterina Kirpičnikova) on Instagram. She is the wife of a Russian soldier in Ukraine, and the video, created entirely using AI, depicts her husband's return.

Đin frequently posts similar AI-generated videos for her 10 million TikTok followers and 50,000 Instagram followers, along with instructions on how to create them. However, these posts have become less frequent as her 21-year-old husband has disappeared at the front.

AIs have been creating images and videos of Russian soldiers, flooding social media since mid-2023. Most are posted by wives of soldiers involved in the invasion, with some paying over $100 per video. Ana Korableva from Kamensk-Uralskij started creating these videos in May 2025, launching the "Video Farewell" project with her sister. Her goal, as stated on the VKontakte social media platform, is to help people come to terms with their unfinished goodbyes and reunite with their lost loved ones.

Many of her clients use these videos to inform friends and followers of their husbands' deaths. The typical AI video depicting the death of a "soldier from the Special Military Operation" follows a well-known pattern: the soldier in uniform embraces his wife and children, then turns to walk up a staircase leading to a blue sky, often surrounded by angels.

Korableva says most requests come from families of soldiers currently fighting in Ukraine, where over 200,000 Russian soldiers have died so far (according to BBC Russian and independent Russian media Mediazona). Clients send her their loved ones' life stories along with photos. One woman shared images of her husband on the front line, collecting the remains of fallen comrades.

“In the early days of working on these videos, I cried almost every day. Over time, I learned to separate my emotions from work. I try to focus on the technical aspects of the job, ensuring the video will be beautiful and worthy of someone's memory,” Korableva told BBC.

Pricing ranges from 1,300 rubles (about 15.4 euros) to 10,000 rubles (118.5 euros) for rush orders. For 2,990 rubles (35 euros), clients can get a pre-generated video of the deceased delivering a final message to their family.