YouTube blocked the 31 channel of Russian artists and propagandists in Ukraine

YouTube blocked in the territory of Ukraine the 31 channel of Russian artists and propagandists who support Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. The Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council reported the blocking on 7 September. Among the blocked resources are channels of well-known Russian singers, as well as companies under sanctions and former Ukrainian politicians.

The bulk of the blocked resources are channels of Russian musical performers and cultural figures. This concerns artists who take part in propaganda events, publicly endorse the war against Ukraine, or are included on the NSDC’s sanctions lists. Blocked, in particular, are the channels of Philip Kirkorov, Grigory Leps, Sergey Lazarev, Valeriya, Larisa Dolina, Irina Allegrova, the band "Pelageya", Denis Maydanov, Yulia Chicherina, Anna Netrebko, and Vasyl Gerello.

In addition to musical channels, the blocking affected resources of sanctioned Russian companies, including "Kaspersky Russia." YouTube also blocked the channel of the Russian propagandist originally from Zakarpattia, Tetiana Pop, and former Members of Parliament of Ukraine Yevheniy Murayev and Renat Kuzmin.

They are systematically cleansing the digital space

The Center emphasized that the blocked resources were used to spread Russian propaganda, glorify war criminals, and support the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine. This is not the first such measure: similar blockings on YouTube have been occurring regularly over the past year.

Thus, in August YouTube already blocked in Ukraine 12 channels that spread Kremlin narratives and supported the Russian army; among them were resources of Russian actor Vitaliy Gogunsky and former Vidiev Boryslav Bereza. Earlier, Informator wrote that Zelensky imposed sanctions against former MP Bereza, who later turned out to be among the owners of the blocked propaganda channels.