Ukraine plans to make pornography legal in order to raise $25 million in tax revenue for war with Russia

Ukraine is weighing a bill to legalise pornography, with lawmakers saying it could raise about $25 million in annual tax revenue to help fund the war against Russia, The Indian Express reports, citing The Washington Post.

The bill has cleared its first vote and awaits a second reading. Yaroslav Zhelezniak, who chairs the finance committee, argues the revenue would be enough to pay for 30,000 drones for the war effort.

The push began after tax officials started pursuing adult-content creators for unpaid tax, leaving them in a difficult position, since paying would mean admitting they were breaking the law. OnlyFans creator Svitlana Dvornikova, who was among those contacted, started a petition calling for legalisation after her run-in with the police. It has gathered more than 25,000 signatures.

Ukraine’s porn industry is believed to have generated $131 million for 8,000 OnlyFans creators in 2023, while more than 2,300 criminal cases linked to pornography were opened in the first six months of 2025.

Ukraine faces a budget gap of $27 billion and says it needs roughly $120 billion a year for defence.