Ukraine has announced sanctions aimed at restricting the distribution of the popular Russian animated series Masha and the Bear, accusing it of spreading Russian propaganda to children. Kyiv views the show as a cultural power tool for Moscow, helping portray the country positively, with the brown bear being a symbol often used to represent Russia. The series, launched in 2009 by Russian studio Animaccord, is broadcast by television channels worldwide and on YouTube, where its Ukrainian channel has over 18 million subscribers and accumulates hundreds of millions of views. Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetiana Berejna announced Friday that sanctions target "the producers and distributors of the Russian animated series." "Russian propaganda has no place on children's screens, neither in Ukraine nor anywhere else in the world," she stated. The measures create "a legal basis to block this content in Ukraine" and to request "international platforms to restrict its monetization and distribution," according to her. The sanctions specifically target the Russian creators of the series and their studio, according to a decree published Thursday by the Ukrainian presidency. The series "conveys pro-Russian narratives disguised as children's content" and generates tax revenue for the country, the document states. In late June, Ukraine protested Netflix's purchase of rights to two new seasons and the extension of its license for this animated series, whose Russian name translates to "Masha and the Bear."