Ukraine pushes to legalize pornography to fund drones amid $27 billion budget gap

Facing a $27 billion budget shortfall, Ukraine's parliament is moving to decriminalise pornography and impose taxes on adult-content producers. Federal tax data show nearly 8,000 Ukrainian OnlyFans creators generated $131 million in 2023, and lawmakers estimate a $25 million levy could finance about 30,000 drones for the war effort, according to bill co-author Yaroslav Zhelezniak. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who fears it could turn the country into a “pornographic hub,” and from the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which cites moral and health risks.

Adult-content creator Svitlana Dvornikova, who paid $900,000 in retroactive taxes and now faces a criminal case, launched a petition that gathered over 25,000 signatures and helped trigger the legislation, which cleared its first reading with a 231-8 vote. Supporters like Oksana of OFM Models argue legalisation would protect workers by removing fear of police extortion, while recent corruption scandals have exposed police chiefs demanding bribes from studios. The bill now proceeds to a second reading, with its fate uncertain amid the debate over morality, trafficking risks, and wartime financing.