Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has imposed sanctions on people and organizations involved in the creation and distribution of the Russian animated series “Masha and the Bear.” The sanctions were established through a decree published Thursday on the Ukrainian president’s official website.
According to the decree, the measures target the studio Animaccord, its founder and chief executive, as well as the series’ writer, director, producer and rights holder. Ukrainian authorities accuse the production of promoting what they describe as pro-Russian messages disguised as children’s entertainment and of posing a national security threat.
The series, which follows the adventures of a young girl and a retired circus bear, is based on a traditional Russian folk tale and has become highly popular internationally. One seven-minute episode, “Recipe for Disaster,” has accumulated more than 4.6 billion views in its English-language version on YouTube, according to the information provided.
