'Masha and the Bear': Ukraine sanctions Russian cartoon
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on the hit Russian children's cartoon "Masha and the Bear," a step towards banning it. The culture minister called the show propaganda. Russia said the move showed Kyiv's "ugly nature."
Ukrainian officials have imposed sanctions on the producers and distributors of the popular Russian children's cartoon series "Masha and the Bear." Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna stated that these sanctions aim to block the content on platforms like YouTube and Netflix within Ukraine, seeking to remove and demonetize the series.
The cartoon, loosely based on a Russian oral fairytale, has been a major success for Russia since its launch in 2009. However, it has faced criticism from Ukraine's allies and international figures for allegedly glorifying Russia or featuring military symbols. Berezhna emphasized that Russian propaganda has no place in children's media, stating that Ukrainian language content for the series has garnered 800 million views in 2025 alone.
The Ukrainian language channel currently boasts around 18 million subscribers, while the show has amassed over 54 billion views worldwide as of June 2026, making it one of the top 50 most-watched feeds on YouTube. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree sanctioning the creators for spreading pro-Russian narratives and threatening national security.
Ukrainian authorities have been scrutinizing the show for nearly a decade, with the first complaint filed in 2017 during Russia's annexation of Crimea. Despite the controversy, the show's studio maintains that it operates independently and receives no funding from the Russian government. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the sanctions as an attempt to portray Russia negatively, likening the show to spreading positive human qualities.
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