Terrorism propaganda: Ukrainians outraged as Netflix acquires Russian series Masha and the Bear
Masha and the Bear to appear on Netflix — Ukrainians react (collage: RBC-Ukraine)
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, following this news, social media began to see posts from Ukrainians calling for subscription cancellations and urging a reassessment of attitudes toward the service.
Details of the Netflix scandal and Masha and the Bear
According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, the streaming platform acquired the rights to stream the eighth and ninth seasons of the animated series, and also extended the license for previous seasons in more than 100 countries.
The Center stated that Masha and the Bear is not just a popular cartoon, but an example of Russian cultural presence abroad.
The post also said that such content can function as a tool of so-called soft power, shaping a positive perception of the country through popular culture and children’s characters.
Among the arguments cited by the authors of the post were the promotion of certain Russian narratives, the normalization of Soviet-era imagery and militarism, as well as mockery of other nations.
How Ukrainians reacted
After the news appeared, posts began gaining popularity on Threads showing screenshots of users cancelling their Netflix subscriptions.
Some users wrote that they were no longer willing to financially support the platform after such a decision. Others stressed that the issue is not just a single animated series, but the broader context of international companies continuing to invest in Russian content during the war.
“You have no idea how principled Ukrainians are as a nation,” user Yulia T. wrote.
Other users also wrote that they do not plan to renew their Netflix subscriptions, saying this was the final straw that made them very angry. Commenters noted:
“I wrote in the cancellation reason that they are sponsors and supporters of the aggressor country. Bye-bye.”
“Thanks for your post, I’ve cancelled my subscription too.”
“Thanks for the info, I didn’t know. I’ll cancel my subscription as well, although I don’t think it will really hurt them.”
Netflix has not yet commented on the scandal and the backlash from Ukrainian users. However, comments about cancelling subscriptions are already appearing on the service’s social media pages as well.
