Ukraine has imposed sanctions on the popular Russian cartoon 'Masha and the Bear', a step effectively banning the children's show, following accusations that its producers spread "pro-Russian narratives" that could threaten Ukraine's national security.
Ukraine's Culture Minister, Tetyana Berezhna, announced on X on Friday that the sanctions target the producers and distributors of the animated series. "This creates legal grounds to block the content in Ukraine and engage international platforms to restrict its monetisation and distribution," she wrote.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the decree on Thursday, imposing restrictions on the series' creators and distributors, including its studio, Animaccord.
'Masha and the Bear' follows the adventures of a mischievous little girl and her friend, a retired circus bear. The show has been widely viewed worldwide: its YouTube channel alone has amassed more than 37 billion views, with some individual episodes surpassing four billion views. It is broadcast in around 100 countries.
However, the cartoon has faced criticism from Ukraine and its allies, including the United Kingdom and Estonia, who have called it an instrument of Russia's soft power. In June, Ukraine protested against Netflix's decision to acquire streaming rights for new seasons of the show.
According to the Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda, the Ukrainian YouTube channel for 'Masha and the Bear' was the most popular children's channel in the country last August, and it currently has over 18 million followers.
The sanctions are part of broader restrictions affecting Russian cultural products in Ukraine, which have become less common due to boycotts and official measures since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
"Russia propaganda has no place on children's screens," Berezhna said on X.
Russia has dismissed the allegations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the cartoon series "conquered the world" by promoting "the finest human qualities".
