Videos showing massive snowdrifts in Russia’s Kamchatka Krai emerged following one of the most powerful snow cyclones on the peninsula in the past 30 years. The region’s largest city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, has been under an emergency declaration since Jan. 15.
The footage is striking, with snowdrifts as high as nine-story apartment blocks and people sliding from windows. However, after closer examination, it appears that a significant portion of these shocking videos are AI-generated.
The region did indeed experience abnormal snowfall, which paralyzed airports and transport operations and even caused fatalities, with two people buried under snow falling from rooftops.
@livingspacez #kamchatka #fyp #deutsch #russian ♬ оригінальний звук – ріжочек.ua!!
Regular public transport is unable to operate under such conditions. Routes are being served by all-terrain vehicles operated by emergency and security services, with only these heavy-duty buses capable of breaking through the snowdrifts.
@walker..116 ♬ Звенит январская вьюга – ANNA ASTI
Traffic police officers are on duty around the clock at major intersections. With traffic lights no longer working, officers manually direct traffic to allow ambulances and snow-clearing vehicles to pass.
Alongside real footage of doors blocked by snow and rescuers at work, social media has been flooded with AI-generated videos.
Some viral videos show perfectly shaped drifts rising above apartment blocks and children jumping from fifth- and seventh-floor windows. In reality, such stunts would be life-threatening due to the density of the snow.
How to tell real from fake?
Real photos show the first floors buried, with residents struggling to open doors. In AI-generated videos, snowdrifts are often «drawn» up to nine stories high, having unnaturally smooth surfaces.
Real videos show heavy snow-clearing vehicles, while AI-generated videos sometimes feature saucer sleds flying up vertical slopes on their own.
@francevia0 Forget everything you know about romantic winter scenes. ❄️ This is not an AI-generated video — no filters, no effects. Just real snow and raw nature. These images come from Kamchatka, Russia, where days of extreme snowstorms buried some areas up to the 4th floor of buildings. 🏢🌨️ Postcard views turned into frozen cities, blocked roads, and daily life brought to a halt. Nature isn’t always romantic — sometimes it’s silent, heavy, and unstoppable. 🤍 📍 Kamchatka, Russia
♬ original sound – Francevia
Moreover, in AI-generated videos, windows and walls can appear to shift or distort as the camera moves.
