AI-generated Images of Ukrainian Soldiers as a Tool for Media Manipulation in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War

Abstract

This article presents the first systematic study of information manipulation in social media through images of Ukrainian soldiers generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Focusing on Facebook between 2022 and 2025, the research examines how fabricated soldier images created by generative neural networks have been disseminated for manipulative purposes. Several recurring thematic clusters are identified. Many of the pages spreading such content feature fictitious administrators (often abroad), display automated behavior (bots, automated commenting), and exemplify “coordinated inauthentic behavior” (CIB). For the first time, manipulations using generated images are compared across the Ukrainian and foreign segments of Facebook. The study highlights the risks of eroding trust in social networks amid the spread of the “Dead Internet,” an environment saturated with bots and synthetic content. By analyzing these practices, the article contributes to research on digital manipulation and calls for a deeper conceptualization of AI’s impact on social processes in the context of information warfare.