Ukraine Sanctions Russia’s Hit ‘Masha and the Bear’ Cartoon

Ukraine has sanctioned the producers and distributors of the popular Russian children’s cartoon “Masha and the Bear,” paving the way for its content to be blocked and monetization restricted. Kyiv says the series is a Kremlin propaganda tool with no place on Ukrainian children’s screens.

Kyiv accused “Masha and the Bear” of spreading “pro-Russia narratives” and posing a threat to Ukrainian national security.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed four decrees enacting a decision by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions on Russian defense manufacturers, companies in the Rusal aluminum group, and the animated series Masha and the Bear.