Original article (in Croatian) was published on 21/1/2026; Author: Ladislav Tomičić
The head of the Kamchatka Department for Hydrometeorology, Vera Polyakova, confirmed to Faktograf that certain photographs circulating online in connection with the snowstorm are not authentic.
Following a major snowstorm that struck Kamchatka, particularly its largest city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, social media users have been widely sharing photographs of buildings allegedly buried under snow, claiming the images depict the Russian region (1, 2, 3).
Although snowfall in Kamchatka was indeed so heavy that, according to eyewitness accounts, nothing comparable has been seen in decades, the viral images showing buildings literally engulfed by snow are not authentic. The content was most likely generated using artificial intelligence.
Head of Hydrometeorological Authority: “The Photos Are Not Authentic”
As we were unable to determine who originally created or circulated the digitally generated images, we contacted the Kamchatka Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring to verify their authenticity.
We submitted two widely shared images for review. One image shows snowdrifts towering over the city skyline; the other depicts an eight-storey building almost entirely buried under a massive accumulation of snow.
We received a response from Vera Polyakova, head of the Kamchatka Department for Hydrometeorology, who stated unequivocally that the photographs are not authentic.
“The photographs are fake. Most of our residential buildings are monolithic or panel structures. Snow cannot reach such heights, nor can it physically accumulate in that way. Even accounting for snow movement, a phenomenon resembling a tsunami in height is impossible. This is Photoshop,” Polyakova wrote in an email response.
The federal hydrometeorological institution she heads is based in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Snow Depth Reached Up to 2.5 Metres
On 19 January, the regional Russian news agency Kamchatkainform reported that “snow cover in Petropavlovsk reached 170 centimetres, and in some parts of the city up to 2.5 metres.”
According to the agency, during a meeting of the Commission for the Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations, Polyakova stated that the weather conditions observed in Kamchatka in December 2025 and the first half of January 2026 fall into the category of extreme events and are recorded very rarely.
A comparable situation, Polyakova told Kamchatkainform, was last recorded in the early 1970s.
In conclusion, Kamchatka was indeed hit by an exceptionally severe snowstorm – one not seen in Petropavlovsk for decades. However, the viral images showing snowdrifts rising above buildings or burying them almost to their rooftops are not authentic.
The images were created using digital tools and do not accurately depict real conditions in the region.
