Ukraine Calls for Sanctions Against Russian Cartoon ‘Masha and the Bear’ Due to Financial Ties with Russia
The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine advocates for the implementation of international sanctions against the popular Russian cartoon ‘Masha and the Bear’.
According to information received from Verkhovna Rada Committee Chairperson Yaroslav Yurishin, the Russian studio ‘Animakord,’ which owns the Ukrainian-language version of this cartoon, profits from views on YouTube.
It has been established that the earnings from viewing this cartoon in Ukraine are directly transferred to Russia, as the studio pays taxes in the Russian Federation and maintains close connections with Russia through ownership structures, management, and intellectual property rights, despite offshore schemes on Cyprus.
This financial flow could potentially support terrorist activities.
It is also noteworthy that during the ongoing war, YouTube initially blocked monetization for Russian creators, yet these restrictions do not apply to views coming from Ukraine.
The Ukrainian authorities are urging measures to restrict the distribution of this cartoon within Ukraine to prevent the spread of pro-Russian propaganda and cut off financial support to the aggressor country.