Ukraine sanctions popular Russian cartoon ‘Masha and the Bear’

Ukraine has sanctioned the popular Russian cartoon ‘Masha and the Bear’ in a step to ban the children’s show, accusing the producers of spreading “pro-Russian narratives” and threatening Ukrainian national security.

“Ukraine has imposed sanctions against the producers and distributors of the Russian animated series ‘Masha and the Bear’,” Ukrainian Culture Minister, Tetyana Berezhna, said on X on Friday.

“This creates legal grounds to block the content in Ukraine and engage international platforms to restrict its monetisation and distribution,” she added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the decree on Thursday, imposing sanctions against creators and distributors of the animated series, including its studio, Animaccord.

The series on the YouTube channel alone has been viewed more than 37 billion times, with some individual episodes topping more than four billion views. It is broadcast in about 100 countries.

The show follows a mischievous little girl Masha and her friend, a retired circus bear. But the cartoon has faced criticism in Ukraine and its allies, including the United Kingdom and Estonia, for serving as an instrument of Russia’s soft power.

In June, Ukraine protested against the move by Netflix to acquire the rights to stream new seasons of ‘Masha and the Bear’.

According to the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda, the Ukrainian YouTube channel for ‘Masha and the Bear’ topped the ranking of the most popular channels for children in the country last August. It currently has over 18 million followers.

The sanctions follow Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.

Russian cultural products have become less widespread in Ukraine due to continual boycotts and official restrictions unveiled by Ukraine’s allies in the wake of the conflict.

“Russia propaganda has no place on children’s screens,” Minister Berezhna said on X.

Russia dismissed the allegations. When asked about the sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the cartoon series has “conquered the world” by promoting “the finest human qualities”.