Ukraine Considers Legalizing Adult Content Creation to Raise Money for Russia War
Ukraine is considering decriminalizing pornography involving consenting adults as lawmakers look for new sources of tax revenue to support the country’s war effort against Russia.
The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, approved Bill No. 15294 in its first reading. The legislation received 231 votes in favor and is now being prepared for a second reading, meaning it has not yet become law.
The proposed legislation would remove criminal liability for producing pornographic material involving consenting adults and distributing such content to adults. At the same time, it would retain or strengthen penalties involving child sexual abuse material and content distributed to minors. Coercing someone into producing pornography would also remain punishable.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, has argued that decriminalization could bring an industry that already operates in the country into the formal tax system.
According to The Washington Post, legalizing and taxing adult content could generate around $25 million in additional annual tax revenue. Zhelezniak said that amount could theoretically pay for around 30,000 drones for Ukraine’s military.
The proposal comes as Ukraine faces substantial wartime spending requirements. The Washington Post reported that the country is dealing with a budget gap of around $27 billion, increasing pressure on the government to identify additional sources of revenue.
Supporters of the reform also argue that Ukraine’s current laws create an unusual situation in which adult-content creators may owe taxes on earnings while simultaneously facing criminal liability for producing the content that generated those earnings.
The Kyiv Independent reported that thousands of Ukrainians have earned money through platforms such as OnlyFans. Zhelezniak previously estimated that around 5,000 Ukrainians earned approximately $123 million between 2020 and 2022 through the platform.
Ukraine’s Economic Security Bureau has also pursued unpaid taxes from adult-content creators. According to the publication, some creators have already paid millions of dollars in back taxes for earnings generated between 2020 and 2023.
Supporters of the bill say the existing system can encourage corruption and place consenting adults at risk of prosecution even when no exploitation is involved. They argue that decriminalization would allow creators to declare their income more openly and contribute taxes to the state budget.
However, the proposal has also generated debate inside Ukraine. Critics have raised concerns about exploitation and argue that any reform should include stronger safeguards for vulnerable people and tighter regulation of commercial adult-content businesses.
Importantly, the legislation does not amount to unrestricted legalization of all sex-related activities. Prostitution, human trafficking, exploitation and child sexual abuse material would remain criminal offenses under the proposed framework.
For now, Ukraine has only taken the first legislative step. Bill No. 15294 must still proceed through further parliamentary consideration before it can become law.
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