On the Hook of Russian Content: Why Some Media Habits Work Against Us

Each time, these news stories spark outrage and, at the same time, raise a painful question: why do Ukrainians, despite 11 years of war, continue to listen to Russian music, watch Russian films, and follow Russian bloggers?

This question was already asked in 2014 and is still asked today. Often, the response is, “It’s everyone’s personal choice.” But in reality, this is not only about morality or patriotism. It’s about economics, information security, and the long-term consequences for Ukrainian culture.

Below, we analyze the most common arguments Ukrainians still use to justify consuming Russian content. If you know people who are still listening to Russian music, show them this article. 

“I’m not funding Russia, because I listen to music on pirate services”

That’s not quite true; you are still funding the enemy, but indirectly. Listening to music, even on pirate services, increases the popularity of Russian content. The algorithms of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music consider the general tastes and behavior of users from one region, even beyond the platform itself. So wherever you listen to Russian music, the services will notice it. And remember it. Moreover, they will recommend it to others and raise its rankings. And the more popular the song, the richer the performer.

Russians who are not under sanctions still receive royalties from Spotify and Apple Music, not only for music but also for advertising. After all, every click on an ad, even to close it, costs money. Part of the advertising profits go to performers.

The singer can use this income in different ways: they may donate it directly to support the “boys at the front”, as the band Ay Yola did, whose track topped the Ukrainian Apple Music chart in April 2025. Or, if the singer lives in Russia, part of this money will still go toward providing for Russian soldiers in the form of taxes, even if the singer is “against the war”.

“I listen to the music, but I don’t share it, don’t like it, so it’s fine”

Even if you passively consume content, you are still popularizing it, because the number of listens is the key measure of popularity on streaming platforms. For example, according to Ekonomichna Pravda and the content-marketing agency Top Lead, in 2023, Ukrainians, by listening to and watching Russian video and audio content on streaming services, brought the content creators, Russian citizens, $81.6 million in one year. $5 million of that amount was paid as taxes. According to the agency, that amount could have bought 10,000 FPV drones for the Russian army.

Moreover, with each listen, the artist’s audience and potential income grow, as does their authority in society. This influence can then be used to broadcast propaganda narratives both inside the country and abroad.

“This performer is no longer alive, so he doesn’t get money”

That’s not true either. Under Russian law, even after the artist’s death, heirs will receive income from public reproduction, distribution, or use of a musical work for 70 years. Including streaming services. Part of that money will end up in the state budget through taxes.

Moreover, the rights to music recordings are often owned by record labels or distributors who invested money into creating and promoting these records. Even if the performer has died, these companies continue to receive payments. These revenues indirectly support the Russian economy if they are based in Russia.

“The singer I listen to is against the war and left Russia”

Being “against the war” or “for peace” is insufficient. Most people don’t want war, but Russia has already started it, so real action is needed: supporting the Defense Forces, volunteering, etc. Instead, the phrase “no to war” is too vague, with no clear call to action or addressee. Because war can be stopped in different ways: if the victim of aggression capitulates, the confrontation ends, but can that be considered a just peace?

Therefore, just having an “anti-war stance” does not mean supporting Ukraine. Even after leaving the country, artists continue to popularize Russian culture, promote narratives that undermine Western public opinion, and dilute the responsibility of Russians for the aggression. In this way, Russian citizens replace Ukrainian voices in international discussions, saying that “they are also victims of Putin’s regime”.

“I listen to Russian songs written before 2022”

This strategy still popularizes and enriches Russian performers. Because, regardless of when the songs were written — two, three, or ten years ago — the performer still receives royalties, i.e., income.

Moreover, the war did not begin in 2022 but in 2014. The military invasion was preceded by decades of imposing Russian culture. In particular, Russians promoted favorable narratives through music, creating a single cultural space without division into countries, where “everyone speaks the same language.”

“Genres and repertoire of Ukrainian performers are limited; there is nothing like what I listen to”

Today, Ukrainian music is actively developing, with new genres and performers emerging. You can discover them on international music platforms and domestic thematic YouTube channels.

However, if you haven’t yet found a performer among Ukrainian singers, you can expand your search to musicians in the USA, Europe, and beyond. It is unlikely that Russians would create such an exclusive product that has no analogues in the world. Moreover, discovering new musical styles can be enlightening.

The difficulty of giving up lies in the fact that listening to certain music is primarily a habit that has formed over years, often decades. Russia invested millions to fill the Ukrainian cultural space with its product, from promoting tracks on the radio to Russian tours across Ukraine. So, it is not surprising that over time, this music became part of our everyday lives.

Moreover, for many listeners, these are not just songs, but nostalgia that brings them back to pleasant memories. However, this should not become an excuse for keeping the presence of enemy culture in your own space. Besides, no one demands that you completely give up familiar content in one day. It’s worth giving yourself time to find alternatives that will eventually completely push Russian music out of your playlists.

“Watching Western films with Russian actors in no way contributes to the promotion of Russian culture”

Even if the film does not glorify Russian culture or promote pro-Russian narratives, a Russian actor in such a film is already an embodiment of Russia’s soft power. Because in this way, the aggressor is normalized through culture.

The most telling example is the Oscar-winning film “Anora”, which featured Russian actors Aleksey Serebryakov, Darya Yekamasova, Yuriy Borisov, and Mark Eidelshtein. The latter two were involved in movies shot in temporarily occupied Crimea. After the release of “Anora”, the actors gained great popularity in the West. In particular, they attended international film festivals and gave interviews to Western outlets. And this while their country continues killing Ukrainians, and the governments of Western states hosting these festivals allocate funds to support Ukraine.

In addition, it all comes down to money again — even if it’s a Western film, the actor receives a fee, the taxes from which may finance the aggressor state.

“I watch films with Russian dubbing on Ukrainian sites, so Russia doesn’t get my money”

Even Ukrainian platforms that host films with Russian dubbing can be connected to the Kremlin. For example, HDrezka presents itself as Ukrainian, but according to the outlet GRUNT, the main part of the company is concentrated in Russia, and the brand is owned by Russians. This was also confirmed by the administrator of the Ukrainian HDRezka community, who was interviewed by the media. He also noted that the Ukrainian team only handles dubbing, while the main part of the company is based in Russia.

Such services often profit from advertising, meaning visiting the site and watching an ad generates money for the company. Moreover, pirate sites often display ads for Russian sites and services, so the money goes to Russian advertisers. Thus, every evening spent watching a series with Russian dubbing means funding a Russian company, part of which will go as taxes to the aggressor country.

It’s not only about money. When a viewer chooses Russian dubbing, even on a “Ukrainian” site, they create demand, but not for a Ukrainian product. Critics of Ukrainian dubbing often claim that our translation is worse than the Russian one. Of course, this is a matter of taste; convincing someone otherwise is not our goal.

However, watching films with Russian dubbing reduces investment in domestic film production. As a result, Ukrainian dubbing studios, translators, and voice actors are left without work. No demand — no orders.

This also sends the wrong message to international companies. Film producers think that Ukrainian viewers “understand everything in Russian anyway”, so they simply see no point in 

The time for change has come… and long ago

Of course, the above arguments from those who continue to watch Russian content are not exhaustive. But whatever excuses are made, they all break against a simple truth — every listen, view, or like of Russian content strengthens the state that kills Ukrainians every day. This is not a matter of taste, but a choice between cultural dependence and cultural independence.

So there is no need for radical “from Monday” decisions. Start small: update your playlist, subscribe to Ukrainian artists and bloggers, and watch a film with Ukrainian dubbing.

Russian culture is one of the links in the chain with which the Kremlin tried to bind Ukraine. As long as we remain in this chain, Russia will still have an influence over us. It’s time to end this.