Ukraine Sanctions Russian Hit 'Masha And The Bear' Cartoon

Ukraine has sanctioned Russian hit children's cartoon "Masha and the Bear" and its producers in a step towards banning the series, Kyiv's culture minister said Friday, 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, broadcast in some 100 countries, and has inspired several spin-offs.

But it has also faced criticism in Ukraine and its allies -- including the United Kingdom and Estonia -- as painting Russia in a positive light and an instrument of Moscow's soft power.

"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.

"This creates legal grounds to block the content in Ukraine and engage international platforms to restrict its monetization and distribution," she said, adding that "Russian propaganda has no place on children's screens."

The Kremlin has laughed off the allegations.

Asked about the sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that 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 a Russian studio that produced the cartoon, Animaccord, 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 due to boycotts and official restrictions.

But according to the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, 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 currently has over 18 million subscribers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)