Russia has stepped up its disinformation campaigns using AI-generated videos – ISW
Russian forces have begun to increasingly use AI-generated videos that simulate the alleged capture of Ukrainian towns and the raising of flags. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this is occurring amid a slowdown in the Russian army’s advance and shows signs of an intensified information campaign.
The ISW calls this an “escalation in the intensity of information warfare.” “Starting in the winter of 2025, higher-quality short videos—featuring editing techniques and filmed in various locations—began to appear,” analysts note. The Russian Armed Forces are resorting to such measures amid a slowdown in their advance in Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian resource DeepState, Russia captured 141 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in April. Excluding the 126 square kilometers captured in February, this is the lowest monthly figure since March 2025. Last week, Russia released a video allegedly showing soldiers of the 81st Slobozhansky Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces surrendering and raising the Russian flag in the village of Piskunivka in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation refuted this information and called the video message from the Ukrainian military a fabrication.
The ISW notes that videos of “flag-raising” have begun to appear more frequently—likely an attempt by the command to compensate for the lack of visible successes by the Russian Armed Forces ahead of Victory Day.
The pace of Russian advances in Ukraine has slowed to its lowest since 2023
Russia was preparing a naval counteroffensive for 2026, but the plans fell through
