Ukraine Weighs Legalizing Pornography to Raise Tax Revenue and Buy Drones
Lawmakers say legalization could raise about $25 million in taxes and help fund drones as Ukraine weighs a first-reading bill.
- Lawmakers, including Yaroslav Zhelezniak, co-author of the bill in the Ukrainian parliament, are moving to decriminalize pornography to bridge a $27 billion budget gap and generate roughly $25 million in tax revenue to purchase 30,000 drones for the war effort.
- Police corruption currently plagues the illicit industry in Ukraine; in May, police chiefs in three regions were arrested on suspicion of accepting $20,000 per month in bribes to provide protection to two dozen adult-content studios.
- In the first half of 2025, authorities opened 2,368 criminal proceedings related to pornography, while creator Svitlana Dvornikova faces a criminal case after filing about $900,000 in retroactive taxes.
- Passing its first reading by a vote of 231-8, the bill has sparked industry interest; Oksana, head of management at OFM Models, noted that applications to her agency doubled as women seek state recognition.
- Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has criticized the legislation in parliament, raising concerns about potential child abuse and arguing the law could turn Ukraine into a "pornographic hub.
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11 Articles
Ukraine weighing decriminalizing porn to generate tax revenue for war with Russia
Ukraine is one of a small number of European countries where making or possessing any kind of porn is still a criminal offense -- punishable by up to seven years in prison -- along with Bulgaria, Iceland, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia.
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der Standard DEDeputies expect around 22 million euros a year. Industry insiders are also concerned with self-determination and a way out of crime.
The Ukrainian Authorities Decided to Allocate the Proceeds of Pornography to the Purchase of Drones.
In Ukraine, some $25 million of the tax revenue from the legalization of pornography is expected to be obtained, and one of the drafters estimates that a member of the Verkhovna Rada Jaroslav Zheleznyak would have had enough money to buy 30,000 drones.The initiative is being discussed against the backdrop of a budget deficit of $27 billion and high military expenditure. The Washington Post writes that according to the publication, the Ukrainian …
Ukraine wants to legalize porn for the sake of taxes and the purchase of drones
Ukraine wants to legalize porn for the sake of taxes and the purchase of drones.Nezalezhnaya is currently facing huge military expenditures and a budget deficit of $ 27 billion, which is why the Rada is considering decriminalizing pornography, a...
The Washington Post
Ukraine weighs legalizing pornography to raise tax revenue and buy drones
Decriminalizing porn would help close a huge budget gap but is a fraught step in a nation long stained by a reputation for exploiting its women.
Ukraine is considering decriminalizing pornography in order to tax the income of adult content creators and raise more money to fund its defense. According to Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, one of the co-authors of the bill, the change could bring in about $25 million a year (about 535 million crowns), which he says would be enough to buy tens of thousands of drones.
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