Ukraine Sanctions Popular Animation "Masha and the Bear" as "Russian Propaganda Tool"

Ten-Year Sanctions Imposed on Creators and Companies

Ukraine Also Protests to Netflix Over Streaming Rights

Ukraine has designated Russia's popular children's animation "Masha and the Bear" as a target for sanctions.

According to Ukrainian Pravda, Russian daily Kommersant, and other sources on the 21st (local time), the Ukrainian government announced that it had placed Animacode Studio, the producer of "Masha and the Bear," and its production team under sanctions.

The specific targets of the sanctions are director and screenwriter Oleg Kuzovkov of "Masha and the Bear"; founders and executives of Animacode; co-producers; parties responsible for overseas promotion and rights sales; and individual animation rights holders, totaling five individuals. In addition, four corporate entities, including Animacode Studio, have also been included among the sanctioned organizations. These individuals and entities are subject to sanctions for a period of ten years.

The popular Russian children's animation "Masha and the Bear." Screenshot from the Animacode homepage

As a result of these sanctions, all assets belonging to the sanctioned individuals and entities within Ukraine will be frozen. Furthermore, access to the Animacode official website, as well as to social networking platforms such as TikTok, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, will also be restricted.

The authorities stated that this cartoon "serves as a Russian propaganda tool and poses a threat to national security." They explained that, through this measure, "Ukraine has established a legal basis for blocking this content within the country and, by cooperating with international platforms, restricting its monetization and distribution."

"Masha and the Bear" is an animation featuring a young girl named Masha and a retired circus bear, and it is also broadcast domestically. The Ukrainian-language YouTube channel for "Masha and the Bear" is the most popular children's channel in Ukraine, with about 18 million subscribers. The Ukrainian Minister of Culture stated that, in 2025, the channel recorded more than 800 million views.

The aspect of this animation considered particularly problematic is Masha's attire. Masha frequently appears wearing a cap and military uniform reminiscent of the Soviet-era Border Guards or the NKVD, the secret police organization. Moreover, the bear is a representative animal symbolizing Russia, which has also drawn criticism. As a result, Ukraine and some of its allies have criticized the cartoon for glorifying Russia.

In June, Ukraine formally protested to Netflix, which had acquired streaming rights to the new season of "Masha and the Bear." Last month, over 50 British politicians also sent an open letter to their country’s culture minister, requesting the removal of "Masha and the Bear" from streaming services. They described the cartoon as "not-so-subtle propaganda."

Russia condemned Ukraine's sanctions. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, said, "Ukraine has now launched a war even against cartoons."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.