A sanctions decision was taken in Ukraine to block the broadcast of the Russian cartoon series "Masha and the Bear" and access to social media accounts linked to the production.
Under the decision Zelensky took on Thursday, sanctions are to be imposed on the series’ producers, and the cartoon’s broadcast in Ukraine is to be banned.
Debate over bans on Russian cultural products
Italian journalist Marco Travaglio described the decision as absurd in an article he wrote for L’AntiDiplomatico. Travaglio argued that the sanctions decision was part of a broader debate over bans on Russian cultural products and criticized Zelensky in ironic terms.

Peskov criticizes the Kyiv authorities
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said the sanctions decision revealed the approach of the Kyiv authorities and criticized it.
“Masha and the Bear” translated into more than 40 languages
The cartoon series produced by the Animaccord studio has been translated into more than 40 languages. “Masha and the Bear” has been broadcast by major media companies in different parts of the world and has reached billions of views.