Ukraine’s parliament is pushing ahead with a bill to decriminalize pornography after an overwhelming first vote, with backers claiming tax revenue from the underground industry could buy 30,000 drones for the war against Russia.
The legislation, co-authored by lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, cleared its first reading in July by a vote of 231-8 and is scheduled for a second reading during the current session running through February. Ukraine remains one of few European nations where producing or possessing any pornography carries criminal penalties of up to seven years in prison, alongside Bulgaria, Iceland, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia.
Zhelezniak pressed the economic case during his speech at the first reading. “Ask yourself … who benefits,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s not the Ukrainian state budget … all that money remains in the shadow economy.”
The country’s State Tax Service estimates legalizing the trade would generate roughly $25 million annually. Lawmakers have argued those funds could help close a $27 billion budget gap and cover mounting military costs as the war stretches toward its fifth year.
The bill traces directly to Svitlana Dvornikova, an OnlyFans creator with 1 million subscribers, who filed a petition after authorities demanded $900,000 in taxes on her 2024 income. Tax officials later raided her home, seized her electronics and filed criminal charges against her.
“We paid these taxes with one eye open, suspecting it might end badly,” Dvornikova said in a phone interview. “I wanted to support my country, give more money to the war, to our soldiers — we really thought this would contribute something.”
Her petition crossed the 25,000-signature threshold forcing a response from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Dvornikova’s criminal case has been paused while the legislation advances.
“If we end up legalizing this, it means we can work calmly, make money properly and pay taxes to the state,” she said.
The tax crackdown that ensnared Dvornikova began after Ukraine’s State Tax Service received data from OnlyFans’ UK parent company showing nearly 7,900 Ukrainian creators earned more than $131 million on the platform in 2023. That disclosure prompted authorities to send payment demands to models nationwide.
Dvornikova framed her tax bill in military terms. The amount she paid alone, she said, could fund 100 military pickup trucks or 2,000 drones.
The proposed shift would leave Ukraine’s criminal code out of step with Russia, where pornography also remains illegal, even as both nations lean heavily on drone warfare. Moscow’s forces have deployed Iranian-designed Shahed drones in sustained attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Kyiv has built up domestic drone production for battlefield strikes and reconnaissance.
The second reading awaits scheduling before the February session deadline.