A Ukrainian prisoner explained why he listened to Russian music in Ukraine despite the ban

"They passed a law that it is forbidden to listen to Russian music, for example, in a car. I didn't get into it – I watched Russian bloggers on YouTube and TikTok, and I listened to music," says the prisoner.

The soldier explained his choice by the fact that there are few “normal” Ukrainian performers, like bloggers, left in Ukraine.

"But listening to them is… They are now trying to get into the heads of ordinary Ukrainians to attract trust," Otkalenko believes. As a result, Ukrainian songs broadcast the position of the current government in Kyiv, the soldier noted.

In Ukraine, the import of books and publishing products from Russia and Belarus, as well as the broadcast of music by Russian performers in Ukrainian media and public places, was officially banned in the fall of 2022. In addition, the Ukrainian authorities banned music in Russian in passenger transport running in cities, as well as on suburban and intercity routes.

However, this ban does not stop everyone, not only in the south of Ukraine, but sometimes also in the west of the country.