diff --git a/backend/src/services/assets.ts b/backend/src/services/assets.ts
index 6e8982a..a3d8efb 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/assets.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/assets.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 import AssetsDBApi from '../db/api/assets.ts';
 import { createEntityService } from '../factories/service.factory.ts';
+import db from '../db/models/index.ts';
 import {
   assertCreateOptions,
+  assertDeleteByIdsOptions,
+  assertIdOptions,
   assertUpdateOptions,
 } from '../contracts/entity-options.ts';
 import ValidationError from './notifications/errors/validation.ts';
@@ -11,13 +14,16 @@ import { logger } from '../utils/logger.ts';
 import type {
   AssetCreateOptions,
   AssetData,
+  AssetDeleteByIdsOptions,
   AssetEmbedUrlResult,
   AssetFindByOptions,
   AssetListFilter,
   AssetMimePatternMap,
   AssetMimeValidationResult,
+  AssetRemoveOptions,
   AssetRecord,
   AssetUpdateOptions,
+  ServiceOptions,
 } from '../types/index.ts';
 
 const VALID_MIME_PATTERNS: AssetMimePatternMap = {
@@ -182,6 +188,35 @@ function buildAssetFindByOptions(options: AssetUpdateOptions): AssetFindByOption
   return findByOptions;
 }
 
+function getCurrentUserId(
+  options: ServiceOptions,
+): string | null {
+  return options.currentUser?.id ?? null;
+}
+
+async function softDeleteAssetVariants(
+  assetIds: readonly string[],
+  options: ServiceOptions & Required<Pick<ServiceOptions, 'transaction'>>,
+): Promise<void> {
+  if (assetIds.length === 0) return;
+
+  const now = new Date();
+  await db.asset_variants.update(
+    {
+      deletedAt: now,
+      updatedAt: now,
+      updatedById: getCurrentUserId(options),
+    },
+    {
+      where: {
+        assetId: assetIds,
+        deletedAt: null,
+      },
+      transaction: options.transaction,
+    },
+  );
+}
+
 const BaseService = createEntityService<
   AssetRecord,
   AssetData,
@@ -313,4 +348,57 @@ export default class AssetsService extends BaseService {
       ...serviceOptions,
     });
   }
+
+  static override async deleteByIds(
+    options: AssetDeleteByIdsOptions,
+  ): Promise<AssetRecord[]> {
+    assertDeleteByIdsOptions(options, 'Service');
+
+    const { transaction: externalTransaction } = options;
+    const transaction =
+      externalTransaction || (await db.sequelize.transaction());
+    const ownsTransaction = !externalTransaction;
+
+    try {
+      const result = await super.deleteByIds({
+        ...options,
+        transaction,
+      });
+      await softDeleteAssetVariants(
+        result.map((asset) => asset.id),
+        { ...options, transaction },
+      );
+
+      if (ownsTransaction) await transaction.commit();
+      return result;
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (ownsTransaction) await transaction.rollback();
+      throw error;
+    }
+  }
+
+  static override async remove(
+    options: AssetRemoveOptions,
+  ): Promise<AssetRecord> {
+    assertIdOptions(options, 'Service', 'remove');
+
+    const { transaction: externalTransaction } = options;
+    const transaction =
+      externalTransaction || (await db.sequelize.transaction());
+    const ownsTransaction = !externalTransaction;
+
+    try {
+      const result = await super.remove({
+        ...options,
+        transaction,
+      });
+      await softDeleteAssetVariants([result.id], { ...options, transaction });
+
+      if (ownsTransaction) await transaction.commit();
+      return result;
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (ownsTransaction) await transaction.rollback();
+      throw error;
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/backend/src/types/db-models.ts b/backend/src/types/db-models.ts
index c91dc9f..87a8cef 100644
--- a/backend/src/types/db-models.ts
+++ b/backend/src/types/db-models.ts
@@ -148,6 +148,20 @@ export interface ProjectCloneVariantModel {
     data: ProjectCloneVariantPayload,
     options: { transaction: Transaction },
   ): Promise<ProjectCloneJsonRecord>;
+  update(
+    data: {
+      deletedAt: Date;
+      updatedAt: Date;
+      updatedById: string | null;
+    },
+    options: {
+      where: {
+        assetId: readonly string[];
+        deletedAt: null;
+      };
+      transaction: Transaction;
+    },
+  ): Promise<[number]>;
 }
 
 export interface ProjectCloneCollectionModel {
diff --git a/backend/tests/update-contracts.test.ts b/backend/tests/update-contracts.test.ts
index ff6baa9..ba7ce78 100644
--- a/backend/tests/update-contracts.test.ts
+++ b/backend/tests/update-contracts.test.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,15 @@ import test from 'node:test';
 
 import db from '../src/db/models/index.ts';
 import AssetsDBApi from '../src/db/api/assets.ts';
+import AssetsService from '../src/services/assets.ts';
 import GenericDBApi from '../src/db/api/base.api.ts';
 import ProjectElementDefaultsDBApi from '../src/db/api/project_element_defaults.ts';
 import { createEntityService } from '../src/factories/service.factory.ts';
 import type {
   CurrentUser,
+  AssetDeleteByIdsOptions,
+  AssetRecord,
+  AssetRemoveOptions,
   DbData,
   EntityRecord,
   EntityServiceDbApi,
@@ -53,6 +57,7 @@ interface UpdateContractCalls {
   serviceCreate?: unknown;
   serviceDeleteByIds?: unknown;
   serviceRemove?: unknown;
+  variantSoftDelete?: { payload: DbData; options: unknown };
   associationThis?: TestAssociationRecord;
   committed?: true;
   rolledBack?: true;
@@ -102,6 +107,63 @@ function replaceSequelizeTransaction(
   };
 }
 
+function replaceAssetVariantUpdate(
+  calls: UpdateContractCalls,
+): () => void {
+  const originalUpdate = db.asset_variants.update.bind(db.asset_variants);
+
+  Object.defineProperty(db.asset_variants, 'update', {
+    configurable: true,
+    value: (payload: DbData, options: unknown) => {
+      calls.variantSoftDelete = { payload, options };
+      return Promise.resolve([1]);
+    },
+  });
+
+  return () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(db.asset_variants, 'update', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: originalUpdate,
+    });
+  };
+}
+
+function replaceAssetsDbApiRemove(
+  value: (options: AssetRemoveOptions) => Promise<AssetRecord>,
+): () => void {
+  const original = AssetsDBApi.remove.bind(AssetsDBApi);
+
+  Object.defineProperty(AssetsDBApi, 'remove', {
+    configurable: true,
+    value,
+  });
+
+  return () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(AssetsDBApi, 'remove', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: original,
+    });
+  };
+}
+
+function replaceAssetsDbApiDeleteByIds(
+  value: (options: AssetDeleteByIdsOptions) => Promise<AssetRecord[]>,
+): () => void {
+  const original = AssetsDBApi.deleteByIds.bind(AssetsDBApi);
+
+  Object.defineProperty(AssetsDBApi, 'deleteByIds', {
+    configurable: true,
+    value,
+  });
+
+  return () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(AssetsDBApi, 'deleteByIds', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: original,
+    });
+  };
+}
+
 function createServiceDbApi(
   calls: UpdateContractCalls,
 ): EntityServiceDbApi<TestEntity, TestEntityData, TestEntityData> {
@@ -421,6 +483,110 @@ void test('AssetsDBApi mapping keeps explicit project relation', () => {
   assert.equal(mapped.projectId, 'project-1');
 });
 
+void test('AssetsService.remove soft-deletes asset variants when removing asset', async () => {
+  const calls: UpdateContractCalls = {};
+  const transaction: TestManagedTransaction = {
+    id: 'tx-asset-remove',
+    commit() {
+      calls.committed = true;
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    },
+    rollback() {
+      calls.rolledBack = true;
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    },
+  };
+  const currentUser = createCurrentUser();
+  const restoreTransaction = replaceSequelizeTransaction(transaction);
+  const restoreVariantUpdate = replaceAssetVariantUpdate(calls);
+  const restoreRemove = replaceAssetsDbApiRemove((options) => {
+    calls.serviceRemove = options;
+    return Promise.resolve({ id: options.id });
+  });
+
+  try {
+    const result = await AssetsService.remove({
+      id: 'asset-1',
+      currentUser,
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(result, { id: 'asset-1' });
+    assert.equal(calls.variantSoftDelete?.payload.updatedById, 'user-1');
+    assert.ok(calls.variantSoftDelete?.payload.deletedAt instanceof Date);
+    assert.ok(calls.variantSoftDelete?.payload.updatedAt instanceof Date);
+    assert.deepEqual(calls.variantSoftDelete?.options, {
+      where: {
+        assetId: ['asset-1'],
+        deletedAt: null,
+      },
+      transaction,
+    });
+    assert.deepEqual(calls.serviceRemove, {
+      id: 'asset-1',
+      currentUser,
+      transaction,
+    });
+    assert.equal(calls.committed, true);
+    assert.equal(calls.rolledBack, undefined);
+  } finally {
+    restoreRemove();
+    restoreVariantUpdate();
+    restoreTransaction();
+  }
+});
+
+void test('AssetsService.deleteByIds soft-deletes variants for deleted assets', async () => {
+  const calls: UpdateContractCalls = {};
+  const transaction: TestManagedTransaction = {
+    id: 'tx-assets-delete',
+    commit() {
+      calls.committed = true;
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    },
+    rollback() {
+      calls.rolledBack = true;
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    },
+  };
+  const currentUser = createCurrentUser();
+  const restoreTransaction = replaceSequelizeTransaction(transaction);
+  const restoreVariantUpdate = replaceAssetVariantUpdate(calls);
+  const restoreDeleteByIds = replaceAssetsDbApiDeleteByIds((options) => {
+    calls.serviceDeleteByIds = options;
+    return Promise.resolve(options.ids.map((id) => ({ id })));
+  });
+
+  try {
+    const result = await AssetsService.deleteByIds({
+      ids: ['asset-1', 'asset-2'],
+      currentUser,
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(result, [{ id: 'asset-1' }, { id: 'asset-2' }]);
+    assert.equal(calls.variantSoftDelete?.payload.updatedById, 'user-1');
+    assert.ok(calls.variantSoftDelete?.payload.deletedAt instanceof Date);
+    assert.ok(calls.variantSoftDelete?.payload.updatedAt instanceof Date);
+    assert.deepEqual(calls.variantSoftDelete?.options, {
+      where: {
+        assetId: ['asset-1', 'asset-2'],
+        deletedAt: null,
+      },
+      transaction,
+    });
+    assert.deepEqual(calls.serviceDeleteByIds, {
+      ids: ['asset-1', 'asset-2'],
+      currentUser,
+      transaction,
+    });
+    assert.equal(calls.committed, true);
+    assert.equal(calls.rolledBack, undefined);
+  } finally {
+    restoreDeleteByIds();
+    restoreVariantUpdate();
+    restoreTransaction();
+  }
+});
+
 void test('createEntityService update uses object signature and manages own transaction', async () => {
   const calls: UpdateContractCalls = {};
   const transaction: TestManagedTransaction = {