Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed four decrees enacting the National Security and Defense Council's (NSDC) decision on sanctions against Russia, which target, among others, the Animaccord studio, creator of the animated series 'Masha and the Bear.'
The sanctions apply to five Russian individuals: the studio's founder and CEO, the scriptwriter, a co-author and co-producer, and the owner of the rights to the cartoon. The NSDC said the series 'spreads pro-Russian narratives disguised as children's content, which poses a threat to Ukraine's national security.'
According to RBC-Ukraine, the decision will allow authorities to ban the broadcast of the animated series in the country.
Animaccord rejected the accusations. Company representative Melanie Bonvicino called them 'false and defamatory' and stressed that the studio had never received state funding.
Complaints about the cartoon have also emerged in other countries. In July, a group of British parliamentarians wrote an open letter to UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy demanding that 'Masha and the Bear' be removed from streaming services. The letter claimed that some of Masha's antics constitute 'propaganda content' that 'lacks subtlety.' Specific complaints concerned two episodes: in one, Masha appears wearing a tanker's helmet, in another, a cap resembling an NKVD cap.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called the series 'part of Kremlin soft power, embedding pro-Kremlin, militaristic imagery into entertaining children's content, while normalizing Russian aggression and imperial ambitions.'