In the long shadow of war, even a children's cartoon becomes contested ground. Ukraine has imposed formal sanctions on the creators and distributors of 'Masha and the Bear,' the Russian animated series with over 54 billion YouTube views, citing it as a vehicle of soft-power propaganda incompatible with national security. The move, signed by President Zelenskyy, reflects how thoroughly culture has been conscripted into the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow — and raises enduring questions about where legitimate defense ends and the policing of imagination begins.