Italian social media influencer Yulia Burtseva has died at the age of 38 after undergoing cosmetic surgery in Moscow.
Burtseva was having a buttock augmentation procedure at a private clinic on January 4 when her condition suddenly deteriorated, according to TMZ.
She was rushed to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Reports suggest she may have suffered an anaphylactic reaction during the operation.
Burtseva, who lived in Naples, Italy, with her husband Giuseppe and their young daughter, had built a following of more than 75,000 on social media by sharing family moments and relationship advice.
Tragedy to start the year — Yulia Burtseva, an Italian influencer, has died at just 38 after undergoing cosmetic surgery in Moscow.
Read more: https://t.co/F41phxo1o0 pic.twitter.com/MQBla9FCF1
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 6, 2026
Her final post on the morning of her surgery was a video from a Moscow coffee shop captioned, “Good morning Moscow.”
Russian news site MSK1 reported that authorities have opened a criminal investigation into her death.
The case is being pursued under Part 2 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which covers causing death by negligence in the performance of professional duties and carries a possible prison sentence of up to three years.
Burtseva’s Instagram posts often offered reflections on family and relationships.
One recent post, translated from Russian, read, “Perhaps the most significant source of misunderstanding in international relations is the different understanding of what a woman and a man are. We grew up in different families and witnessed different relationships between our parents, and therefore, we have slightly different perceptions.”
Her followers online expressed shock and sorrow.
One user, Gayle1573, wrote, “She was a beautiful young woman. God be with her family.”
Another, Sveta-solovevya, commented, “The Kingdom of heaven.”