Ukraine sanctions hit Russian children’s cartoon Masha And The Bear
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Ukraine’s Culture Minister slammed the cartoon as a Russian “propaganda” tool.
PHOTO: MASHAANDTHEBEAR/INSTAGRAM
KYIV – Ukraine has imposed sanctions against the hit Russian children’s cartoon Masha And The Bear (2009 to present) and its producers and distributors in a step towards banning the series, Kyiv’s Culture Minister said on Aug 21, slamming it as a Russian “propaganda” tool.
The cartoon about a mischievous little girl and a retired circus bear is a cult classic in Russia.
It has been viewed tens of billions of times on YouTube alone and broadcast in some 100 countries, and has inspired several spin-offs.
But it has also faced criticism from Ukraine and its allies – including Britain and Estonia – for painting Russia in a positive light and as an instrument of Moscow’s soft power.
“This creates legal grounds to block the content in Ukraine and engage international platforms to restrict its monetisation and distribution,” Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna said on X of the sanctions, adding that “Russian propaganda has no place on children’s screens”.
The Kremlin has laughed off the allegations, with its spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the cartoon series has “conquered the world” by promoting “the finest human qualities”.
“The fact that Ukraine has launched a war against cartoons, too, likely serves as yet another illustration of the ugly nature” of the Ukrainian authorities, Peskov told reporters.
The sanctions – imposed through a decree issued by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – target the Russian studio that produced the cartoon, Animaccord, and its founder, as well as the series’ scriptwriter and director.
In June, Ukraine protested against Netflix’s move to acquire the rights to stream new seasons of Masha And The Bear.
Since the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian cultural products have become less widespread in Ukraine owing to boycotts and official restrictions.
But according to the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet, in August 2025, the Ukrainian YouTube channel for Masha And The Bear topped the ranking of the most popular channels for children in the war-torn country.
It now has more than 18 million subscribers. AFP
