Is it possible to block Russian music on streaming platforms? Mechanisms, risks, and state-market solutions

Summary of a meeting initiated by the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law together with the Ukrainian Agency for Copyright and Related Rights

from 16.03.2026

The issue of Russian music on streaming platforms has become an important element of Ukraine's information security. At an expert discussion involving parliamentarians, ministers, representatives of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, lawyers, and the distribution market, practical tools were discussed — from sanctions and criminal proceedings to technical algorithm settings and the scale of state support for Ukrainian culture. This article brings together the key mechanisms and recommendations that can be implemented right now.

The problem in a nutshell

Russian content reaches Ukrainian listeners both through official streaming services (recommendations, charts) and through workaround channels (artists/aggregators registering in third jurisdictions, pirate channels).

Platforms position themselves as “internet intermediaries” and are reluctant to take on additional moderation without a clear legal basis.

Legal and criminal-law mechanisms for blocking
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Sanctions and “bundling” of artists

• Identify artists/channels that directly or indirectly support aggression or spread propaganda.

• Form “packages” of sanctioned persons and submit them to the NSDC/SBU → official MFA appeals to platforms requesting geoblocking. (Initiators: O. Sanchenko, V. Vlasiuk, M. Poturaiev)

Criminal-law basis

If there is evidence of violations (calls, facilitation of terrorist or military actions), open criminal proceedings, which makes it easier to block channels and initiate international wanted notices. (Example — the case of N. Saburov, according to Y. Pronin, lawyer)

Legislative changes and standards

Supplement national legislation (the sanctions law, the digital platforms law) with provisions that make it possible to respond more quickly and require aggregators to provide information on the ultimate beneficiaries of releases (IDs, legal entities). (D. Huzii, T. Topolia)

Technical solutions: geoblocking and algorithm settings
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Geoblocking content on the territory of Ukraine when there are sanction grounds.
Adjusting recommendation algorithms (digital regional segmentation) so that Ukrainian listeners receive less material promoting the cultural narratives of the aggressor; platform readiness is needed. (H. Krasnostup, Ministry of Digital Transformation)

Requiring transparent linkage of releases to aggregators and payment accounts to screen out releases tied to legal entities from Russia/Belarus. (T. Topolia, Y. Pronin)

Monitoring and analytics
Regular digests: top 100, track origins, geo-views (including ORDLO/Crimea) — these are arguments for negotiations with platforms and for European regulators. (Y. Pronin, O. Sanchenko).

Strengthening Ukrainian product: grants and state support 2026
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A large-scale state program (1,000 hours of content + a special UFCF music program; in 2026 — approx. UAH 20 million) with transparent pitching, management, and targeted grants for production and promotion. (UCF, Ministry of Culture, Office of the President, Pavlo Striletskyi)

Strategic promotion of Ukrainian music on international platforms and through cultural diplomacy (MFA, festivals).

An organizational model to make everything work together

Cross-sector coordination: establish an оперативна working group/secretariat (UAASP + Cedem + Ministry of Digital Transformation + Ministry of Culture + UCF + market) to collect cases, package evidence, and make rapid appeals to platforms.
A clear workflow: monitoring → identification → evidence gathering → submission to the SBU/NSDC → official appeal to the platform → tracking the response.
Seek donor support for the secretariat to ensure technical analysis and ongoing monitoring.

Risks and limitations

European standards protect freedom of expression: total bans may raise questions of compatibility with the EU — careful legal justification is needed.
Platforms sometimes respond slowly and require official documents; without systematic interaction — only isolated successes.
Workarounds (registration in third countries, VPNs, piracy) make the problem ongoing.

Practical checklist: what to do now
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• Establish an interagency channel (chat) for the оперативне receipt of cases from the market.

• Start regular analytical digests on the top 100 and new releases; compile lists of sanctioned artists.

• Systematically submit “packages” to the SBU/NSDC → MFA → platforms (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music) requesting geoblocking.

• Accelerate the launch of pitching and management for the 1,000 hours program and the UCF music program, with a focus on promotion and foreign platforms.

• Prepare legislative amendments on release transparency (IDs, ultimate beneficiaries) and mechanisms for interaction with platforms.

Conclusion#

Solutions to stop the spread of Russian music require a combined approach: legal tools and sanctions, technical methods and clear interaction with platforms, plus large-scale investment in creating and promoting Ukrainian content. The key condition for success is constant cross-sector coordination and analytics that make it possible to act quickly and with solid arguments.

If you represent a platform, an organization, or a donor project and are ready to join the coordination — write to us, to agree on an operational channel for exchanging cases and analytics.