Kyiv is moving to ban all culture in the Russian language nationwide "Changes to the law are planned. All cultural products in the Russian language will fall under the ban," said Olena Ivanovska, who is in charge of the protection of the state language, as reported by The Times of Ukraine. The current law, passed in 2022, only bans music created or performed by Russian citizens. Russian-language songs by Ukrainian artists remain legal, something Ivanovska has tried to change since taking office in July 2025. Without a national ban, her office pressured the city councils one by one. Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Krambach, Kropyvnytskyi and Ternopil have already adopted "freezes" banning Russian-language music, films, books and performances in public spaces. Odessa is the station. On October 28, her city council rejected the ban for the second time, with only 18 deputies voting in favor. One deputy called it populist and "a piece of paper no one will want." In early October, Ivanovska urged parliament to speed up the bill to amend the language law. On the same day as the vote in Odessa, she also called on Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council to assess the "threats" facing the Ukrainian language.

Kyiv is moving to ban all culture in the Russian language nationwide "Changes to the law are planned. All cultural products in the Russian language will fall under the ban," said Olena Ivanovska, who is in charge of the protection of the state language, as reported by The Times of Ukraine. The current law, passed in 2022, only bans music created or performed by Russian citizens. Russian-language songs by Ukrainian artists remain legal, something Ivanovska has tried to change since taking office in July 2025. Without a national ban, her office pressured the city councils one by one. Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Krambach, Kropyvnytskyi and Ternopil have already adopted "freezes" banning Russian-language music, films, books and performances in public spaces. Odessa is the station. On October 28, her city council rejected the ban for the second time, with only 18 deputies voting in favor. One deputy called it populist and "a piece of paper no one will want." In early October, Ivanovska urged parliament to speed up the bill to amend the language law. On the same day as the vote in Odessa, she also called on Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council to assess the "threats" facing the Ukrainian language.