Ukraine sanctions producers of 'Masha and the Bear', signalling possible ban
Kyiv sanctioned the Animaccord studio and individuals behind the franchise, calling the cartoon an instrument of Russian propaganda.
Ukraine has moved to sanction the producers and distributors of the Russian animated series "Masha and the Bear", a step Kyiv says could lead to a ban of the show inside the country, Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna announced on Friday.
"Ukraine has introduced sanctions against the producers and distributors of the Russian animated series 'Masha and the Bear'," Berezhna wrote on X. She said the measure creates a legal basis to block the content domestically and to press international platforms to limit its monetisation and distribution.
Berezhna added: "Russian propaganda has no place on children's screens." The sanctions were issued by presidential decree from Volodymyr Zelensky and are aimed at the Animaccord studio that produces the franchise, its founder, and the project's writer-director.
Popularity and criticism
The cartoon about the mischievous girl Masha and a retired circus bear is one of Russia's most successful animated exports. It has amassed tens of billions of views on YouTube, is broadcast in roughly 100 countries, and spawned multiple spin-offs and related projects.
Despite that global reach, Kyiv and several of its allies — including the United Kingdom and Estonia — have criticised the production as portraying Russia in a favourable light and as a tool of Moscow's so-called "soft power." In June, Ukraine protested Netflix's decision to acquire rights to air new seasons of the show.
The Kremlin dismissed the move and reacted with derision. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the series has "conquered the world" by promoting "the best human values" and added that "the fact that Ukraine has started a war even against cartoons is probably yet another illustration of the unacceptable nature of the Ukrainian authorities."
Russian cultural products have been far less visible in Ukraine since the 2022 invasion because of boycotts and official restrictions, yet the Ukrainian YouTube channel for Masha and the Bear was still reported as the country's most popular children's channel in August 2025, with more than 18 million subscribers.
Photo: press material from the event
