The president will review a bill that would close loopholes regarding the special status of the Russian language
For years, Russia has used the language issue in Ukraine as one of its key tools of influence. Bill No. 14120, which provides for the official removal of the Russian language from the list of languages covered by the European Charter, is currently awaiting the president’s signature.
This was stated by the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Olena Ivanovska, on Facebook.
She commented on an investigation by journalists from “Schemes,” which detailed Russia’s funding of the promotion of the Kivalov-Kolesnichenko language bill and instructions on how to pressure the Ukrainian government.
According to Ivanovska, the consequences of the so-called language law were evident not only in the official decisions of local councils but also in everyday life—in cities, the media, the service sector, and daily life.
“We saw the consequences of the Kivalov-Kolesnichenko law not only in documents—decisions by local councils granting Russian the status of a regional language—but they manifested in real life: in cities where Ukrainian was effectively losing ground, in the media, in the service sector, and in everyday life,” she wrote.
Ivanovska also emphasized that Russia systematically promoted a narrative about the alleged oppression of Russian-speaking citizens, which was later used to justify the aggression against Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.
“This myth has been ingrained in people’s minds for decades—both within Ukraine and beyond its borders. In 2014, it became one of the key elements justifying the aggression. In 2022, it was trotted out again as part of the propaganda campaign accompanying the full-scale invasion,” she noted.
According to her, Russia’s language policy is an element of informational and ideological influence.
“Language is the foundation upon which a state stands. And when this foundation is systematically undermined, the consequences extend far beyond the humanitarian sphere,” Ivanovska emphasized.
She also recalled that the Kivalov-Kolesnichenko law was declared unconstitutional in 2018, and the final repeal of local council decisions granting Russian the status of a regional language was completed in 2021.
In the first quarter of 2026, the language ombudsman received 659 complaints regarding violations of the law on the state language. Kyiv residents are most outraged by issues with websites and services in Ukrainian, while some complaints concern advertising, education, and the media.
Additionally, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine received over 57.5 million hryvnias from a company that had failed to fulfill a defense contract dating back to 2009. The funds were recovered through court proceedings and enforcement, as the company had previously ignored the court’s decision.
The High Anti-Corruption Court approved a settlement in the corruption case involving the Odesa Port Plant, which provides for full reimbursement to the state of 77.5 million hryvnias in damages.
