Kyiv: Ukraine is considering legalising and taxing its pornography industry to raise up to $25 million annually, reduce corruption and generate additional revenue for its war effort against Russia, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who chairs Parliament’s finance committee, is leading the proposal. A bill co-authored by him passed its first parliamentary vote in July and awaits a second reading.
Zhelezniak estimates the revenue could fund around 30,000 drones, although it remains small compared with Ukraine’s estimated annual defence requirement of $120 billion.
Pornography production, distribution and possession are currently illegal and can carry prison sentences of up to seven years.
However, a large online industry continues to operate, creating what Zhelezniak calls a legal contradiction: creators are expected to pay taxes on income from activities that remain criminalised.
Tax authorities reportedly identified 7,900 Ukrainians who earned more than $131 million through OnlyFans in 2023.
Some creators later faced police action, while others moved abroad to continue working. One creator, Svitlana Dvornikova, alleged officers sought a bribe during a search of her home.
Supporters say legalisation could curb corruption and bring the existing industry under regulation.
Dvornikova’s 2025 petition supporting legalisation secured more than 25,000 signatures, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to say Parliament would consider the issue.
