Russian troops use AI-altered videos to exaggerate battlefield gains in Ukraine, FT reports
Russian military units and pro-war bloggers have circulated dozens of videos apparently manipulated using artificial intelligence to exaggerate Russia's battlefield successes in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on November 9, citing research by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to the FT report, the US-based think tank identified at least 35 videos published by Russian military units and military bloggers that appeared to have been altered using AI. Russian state media and the Defense Ministry also helped circulate the footage.
One example concerns Russian claims of advances near Dobropillia, a town in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast.
In its October 23 assessment, ISW reported that a Russian source had published footage purportedly showing Russian troops raising flags in Vesele Pole, a settlement north of Dobropillia.
The location was approximately 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) beyond the furthest extent of Russian advances assessed by ISW at the time.
The think tank said it had reason to believe the footage might have been AI-generated or AI-altered, consistent with previous Russian information operations involving fabricated battlefield footage.
ISW separately assessed that Russian troops had conducted an infiltration mission into southern Dobropillia. However, the presence of Russian soldiers in part of the town did not establish Russian control over Dobropillia.
Ukraine has denied Russian claims that its forces lost control of the town.
Pressure to show results
The apparent use of AI-manipulated footage comes as Russian commanders face pressure to demonstrate progress in their nearly five-year war against Ukraine.
According to the FT, some of the Russian units accused of exaggerating their battlefield achievements through manipulated videos had been under pressure over their performance.
The footage may serve multiple purposes: influencing public perceptions of the war and presenting an inflated picture of military progress to Russian commanders and political leaders.
Dara Massicot, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the FT that the gap between Russia's battlefield claims and reality was growing wider. She expected Russia to continue producing fabricated propaganda.
The findings highlight the growing challenge of verifying battlefield footage as AI tools make it easier to create convincing images of events that may never have occurred.
The suspected manipulation does not mean every video identified by ISW has been conclusively proven to be a deepfake. Nor does the existence of fabricated footage, by itself, establish that Russian commanders relied on it when reporting battlefield results.