The sanctions target the filmmakers, and the series is now officially considered a threat to national security. Culture Minister Tetiana Bereshna wrote on Facebook that in 2025 alone, the Ukrainian-language YouTube channel of ‘Masha and the Bear’ garnered over 800 million views. Now there is a legal basis to block the films in Ukraine.
‘There is no place for Russian propaganda on children’s screens. Neither in Ukraine nor in the world!’, Bereshna said. The background is a journalistic study showing that the Ukrainian-language channel was the most popular in the country attacked by Russia in 2025. The creators earn advertising revenue through the channel, with which taxes are paid in Russia – the money benefits the Russian army.
The sanctions initially apply for ten years. Kyiv called on allies to take similar measures. The Russian government criticized the move: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov spoke of the ‘abomination of the Kyiv regime’ and called the series propaganda ‘in the good sense of the word’.
Source: Tagesschau
