Russian invasion

Ukraine's response
Ukrainian porn could pay for 30,000 drones – politicians want to scrap strict laws

The Ukrainian porn industry is booming and brings in millions of dollars annually – despite Ukrainian law banning the production and distribution of pornographic material. Now Ukrainian politicians are fighting to legalize the industry, in the hope of generating tax revenue that can help pay for the war of attrition against Russia, writes The Wall Street Journal.

Behind the bill is opposition politician Yaroslav Zhelezniak. He believes that Ukraine is losing more than 25 million dollars in tax revenue annually due to the strict porn laws. It is certainly not an astronomical sum, but it could pay for 30,000 drones, he explains in the interview.

Since the full-scale Russian invasion, more and more Ukrainian women have turned to the Onlyfans platform. The authorities demand that the creators pay taxes, but by making the payments, the women are in effect admitting that they are committing criminal acts.

– These women either do not pay taxes and risk being prosecuted for it, or they pay taxes and are prosecuted for violating pornography laws, says Zhelezniak.

Russian reactions
Freed war opponent makes like-minded people dare to hope for “the impossible”

Opponents of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine are breathing morning air after a 38-year-old war opponent was acquitted by a court in Moscow, writes Berlingske.

The case concerns Lida Moniava, a high-profile person in the country who has become known for her commitment to sick children, among other things. Moniava was arrested for having “discredited” the Russian military. The suspicion has led to long prison sentences in a number of other high-profile cases, but in the case of Moniava, the district court chose to acquit her.

“I said that I was against the war and that I did not feel guilty. I hope that the war ends as soon as possible,” Moniava said afterwards.

She had hundreds of people who showed up outside the courthouse to support her. Journalist Kirill Sjulika writes on Telegram that the verdict emphasizes that anyone can be brought to justice, but also that it seems possible to change “the impossible.”