Ukraine war: Ukraine bans "Masha and the Bear"
Millions of children around the world watch the Russian animated series "Masha and the Bear". But now Ukraine sees it as a threat to national security. Moscow is reacting promptly.
The Ukrainian government has imposed sanctions on the makers of the popular Russian animated series "Mascha und der Bär" (Masha and the Bear), citing a threat to national security. The move blocks the show in Ukraine, where it had over 800 million views on its Ukrainian-language YouTube channel in 2025. Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetjana Bereschna said the show was a form of Russian propaganda and had no place on children's screens.
The sanctions, which last for 10 years, were sparked by a study that found the show generated ad revenue that funded the Russian army's fight against Ukraine. The Kremlin has condemned the move, with spokesman Dmitri Peskow calling it an example of the "abhorrence" of the Ukrainian government.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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