Core77 - Blog • Jan. 21, 2026, 3:22 a.m.

Now making the rounds on social media, racking up hundreds of thousands of "likes," is this false claim: "Local authorities in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula have declared a state of emergency after an exceptionally severe snowstorm buried neighbourhoods, triggered rooftop avalanches, and caused fatalities. Snow accumulation ranged from 3 to 12 metres, engulfing buildings, blocking roads, and covering vehicles and entrances, with some residential areas nearly buried under towering snowdrifts." The claim was accompanied by AI-generated images: Folks, 12 meters is nearly 40 feet.

What's shown in the photo is drifts well over a hundred feet. In fact, seven feet of snow fell on the city.

While that's not nothing— two people did in fact die —it's not even close to the claims and images above.

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