Ukraine Considers Decriminalizing Pornography to Fund War Efforts

Lawmakers in Ukraine's unicameral legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, are currently considering a legislative proposal to decriminalize pornography across the country. This effort is being framed by various news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, as a method to generate funds for Ukraine's war efforts against the Russian Federation.

Legislative Push for Decriminalization

The proposed legislation aims to overturn a prohibition on the production, distribution, and possession of pornography, a law established during the Soviet Union's control over Ukraine. The Communist Party's official stance at the time deemed pornography counter-revolutionary. Opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak has produced this legislation.

Zheleznyak, who chairs Parliament’s finance committee and co-authored the bill, estimates that taxing the industry could generate up to $25 million annually. This revenue, supporters argue, could help fund the acquisition of military drones. The estimate of $25 million in tax revenue has been equated to the approximate cost of 30,000 drones, though this was an illustrative calculation as total funding differs.

The current proposal is before the Verkhovna Rada, or "Rada," and has strong initial support, according to legislative documents seen by AVN. The first reading of the new bill garnered support from 231 Rada lawmakers, signaling a potentially successful path to adoption and a signature by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This contrasts with a previous legislative session earlier this year, where Zheleznyak's similarly worded legislation fell short, receiving only 207 votes, which was below the 226 required to advance legislation in the 450-seat legislative body.

The Rada's consideration of these amendments to legal codes focuses on decriminalization, not full legalization and regulation. Initial action by the Rada occurred over the summer, and the second reading is approaching, which will include amendments and clarifications to the draft law.

Economic and Legal Context

OnlyFans, a premium social media network utilized by adult content creators, estimates that over 7,900 creators earned more than $130 million from Ukraine in 2023. Despite the current ban, Ukraine's adult content industry has grown significantly and operates in a legal grey area, with allegations of corruption involving law enforcement.

Ukrainian authorities have also begun seeking taxes from adult content creators. However, those who declare their earnings can potentially expose themselves to prosecution under the country's pornography laws. Zheleznyak described this as a "tragicomic situation," noting that "These women either don’t pay taxes and face criminal charges for that, or they pay taxes and get charged with violating pornography laws."

Svitlana Dvornikova, an adult content creator, was described in The Wall Street Journal as having paid nearly $900,000 to Ukraine's tax authority. Her home was subsequently raided by state police, and her savings were seized. This incident prompted her initial effort to petition President Zelenskyy to endorse the decriminalization of pornography and adult content creation.

The proposed revenue, while estimated at $25 million annually, would be modest compared to Ukraine’s overall wartime spending. Kyiv estimates it needs approximately $120 billion annually for defense. However, lawmakers suggest that even a relatively small additional stream could help pay for critical military equipment.

Corruption Allegations and Enforcement

As AVN reported in May, the Security Service of Ukraine and national law enforcement agencies uncovered a corruption scheme involving regional police officials. These officials allegedly accepted bribes to overlook underground pornography production outfits and adult content creators in multiple regions across the country.

Local news reports at the time indicated that the probe implicated the police chief for the Ivano-Frankivsk region and its deputy, along with two deputy chiefs of the Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions. A fifth suspect, who served as the personal driver for a deputy Interior minister, allegedly acted as an intermediary and money courier in a broader corruption scheme. All five suspects were accused of receiving monthly payments of up to $25,000 per studio in exchange for shielding adult content creators from law enforcement scrutiny.

Key Facts

• Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada is considering legislation to decriminalize pornography.
• The proposal aims to generate an estimated $25 million annually in tax revenue for war efforts.
• This revenue could fund approximately 30,000 military drones.
• OnlyFans creators in Ukraine earned over $130 million in 2023.
• The bill has initial support from 231 Rada lawmakers.
• Current laws prohibiting pornography date back to the Soviet Union era.