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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The President of Ukraine approved the NSDC's decision to impose sanctions on the animated series "Masha and the Bear." The Russian cartoon is viewed not only as an entertainment product but also as an instrument of soft power.
The head of the CPD, Andriy Kovalenko, told 24 Channel that the particular danger is the impact such content has on children.
Why is the animated series dangerous?
According to him, this is a Russian global product that can be used to shape a positive perception of Russia among foreign audiences.
"Masha and the Bear is not just a popular children's cartoon, but a Russian global product that is an instrument of soft power and hybrid influence. Through humor and entertaining content, the Russians try to form a positive perception of Russia among children on different continents," he said.
Kovalenko emphasized that working with a child audience is one direction of Russian propaganda, since children are especially vulnerable to the influence of informational content. In addition, it is much easier from childhood to form public opinion and influence the election of authorities or the determination of a country's course.
According to the head of the CPD, the Center has been studying the series since 2025 and has pointed out its propagandistic elements. He noted that Ukrainian specialists worked for a long time on introducing the sanctions.
"The President approved this NSDC decision, and this is an important step. Many thanks to the President's adviser for sanctions policy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, for his work on the sanctions,"
he said,
Kovalenko also noted that such actions are supported by Ukraine's international partners, in particular the United Kingdom. The CPD plans to continue working to limit Russia's opportunities to spread propaganda, including through children's content, not only in Ukraine but also abroad.
Recall that Zelensky introduced new sanctions against representatives of the Russian military-industrial complex, collaborators, high-ranking Russian officials, and those involved in spreading Russian propaganda.
The restrictions, in particular, affected 28 Russian citizens, 36 Russian and one Chinese company that operate in the production of equipment, electronics, raw materials, and military technologies.
Separate sanctions were imposed against five enterprises of the Rusal group and nine Russian citizens linked to the production of aluminum for the Russian military-industrial complex. Another sanctions package concerns 45 individuals and 8 legal entities, among them Russian high-ranking officials and collaborators in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The sanctions list also included former Party of Regions MP Yuriy Ivanyushchenko, who is suspected of legalizing land plots worth more than 160 million hryvnias.
In addition, Ukraine imposed restrictions on five Russians and four organizations involved in the creation of the animated series "Masha and the Bear."
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "У РНБО пояснили, чому Україна ввела санкції проти мультфільму "Маша та Ведмідь"". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
