As Russia kills Ukrainian children, Netflix streams Russian cartoon: How communities can respond

Volodymyr Kogutyak, UWC Vice President in Western Europe and head of its Advocacy Committee, discusses another manifestation of the Kremlin’s hybrid expansion in the media space and the UWC’s global Cancel Netflix campaign in response to the platform’s purchase of Russian content.

Today, in 2026, as Ukraine continues its exhausting struggle against Russia’s genocidal aggression, global corporations still allow themselves to profit from Russian products. Streaming giant Netflix has acquired the rights to two new seasons of the Russian animated series Masha and the Bear and extended its license for distribution in more than 100 countries around the world.

The global Ukrainian community must clearly communicate to the international community and the platform’s leadership that behind the colorful 3D animation lies not an innocent children’s fairy tale, but the aggressor’s “soft power,” which directly finances Russian missiles and has a destructive influence on the minds of the youngest viewers. The Ukrainian World Congress calls on all communities to respond immediately – we are launching a mass Netflix cancellation campaign.

Why this is not just a cartoon

Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security identifies three key reasons why this series is dangerous.

• Bloody monetization: Money for Russia’s budget

The producer and rights holder of the series is the Russian studio Animaccord, which regularly pays taxes to the federal budget of the Russian Federation. It should be noted that 40% of that budget’s expenditures go toward the “security and defense sector,” meaning they directly fund the war against Ukraine.

According to research by Detector Media, this content generated millions in profits for its owners from international viewership in the first half of 2025 alone. By purchasing licenses, Netflix effectively transforms subscription revenue into funding for the Russian military and security services.

1. A tool of “soft power” and propaganda

The cartoon fosters loyalty to Russia among children around the world through the use of recognizable Russian cultural symbols, including kokoshniks, balalaikas, samovars, and the image of the bear (the Russian bear), which is an unofficial symbol of the Russian Federation.

Moreover, the content of the series and its official channels are integrated into the Kremlin’s ideology of rashism:

• In one episode (“Border Under Guard”), Masha wears an NKVD cap, representing a structure responsible for millions of crimes against humanity.
• Official resources associated with the cartoon promote Russia’s militarized state holidays, including Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23 and Victory Day on May 9.
• Platform algorithms use viewership of Masha and the Bear to draw children into a shared Russian semantic space and recommend openly propagandistic third-party videos.
  
• Harmful impact on children’s mental development

Leading child psychologists, including Khrystyna Shabat and Kateryna Holtsberg, have raised concerns that the series promotes destructive behavioral patterns. The main character constantly misbehaves, damages property, ignores refusals, and causes suffering to others, yet receives encouragement instead of consequences or lessons. The cartoon does not teach empathy, respect for parents, personal boundaries, or responsibility, fostering egocentrism and aggression in children.

Time to act: A cancellation guide for Ukrainian communities

We call on every Ukrainian abroad, every family, and every organization to show Netflix that cooperation with an aggressor comes at a price. Our action plan is simple, but powerful through collective participation:

• Step 1. Send an official letter. Send the protest letter prepared by the UWC to Netflix support and management in your country of residence.

Letter template.

• Step 2. Cancel Your Subscription. Take a principled stand by refusing to use the services of a platform that tolerates sponsors of terrorism.
• Step 3. Make It Public. Take a screenshot of your canceled subscription and post it on social media using the hashtags #CancelNetflix and #StopRussianSoftPower, along with the message: “While Netflix streams Russian series, Russia kills Ukrainian children. Stand with Ukraine!” Explain to your international friends why you took this step.

“An apparently innocent cartoon is today part of a hybrid war. We have no right to finance a culture that kills. Monitor what your children watch, choose quality Ukrainian, European, or American alternatives. Our pressure on Netflix must remain unwavering!” Kogutyak says.

Protect your families, hold the information front, and safeguard our children’s environment from the influence of the enemy.