P*rn To Fund War? Ukraine Eyes Legalisation, Taxation of Adult Industry To Buy 30,000 Drones

Ukraine is reportedly considering an unusual way to raise additional money for its war effort against Russia: legalising and taxing p*rnography. A bill backed by Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak seeks to remove criminal penalties for the production and distribution of p*rnography involving consenting adults and bring the industry into the formal economy. The proposal has already cleared its first reading in Parliament and is awaiting further consideration.

USD 25 Million For 30,000 Drones

Zhelezniak, who chairs Parliament's finance committee and co-authored the bill, estimates that taxing the industry could generate up to USD 25 million annually, reported WSJ. He says that money could be enough to finance around 30,000 military drones. Russia-Ukraine War: Donald Trump Sends Envoys to Moscow, Kyiv With ‘Idea for Peace’.

The amount is small compared with Ukraine's overall wartime spending. Kyiv estimates it needs roughly USD 120 billion a year for defence, but supporters argue that even a relatively small domestic revenue stream could help pay for military equipment. The proposal comes as Ukraine continues to face heavy financial pressure from the prolonged war and looks for additional sources of domestic revenue.

Why Ukraine Wants To Legalise The Industry

P*rnography remains illegal under Ukrainian law, even though the country's online adult content industry has grown significantly, including through platforms such as OnlyFans. This has created a legal contradiction, with adult content creators facing possible criminal action for producing or distributing p*rnography, even as authorities have also sought to collect taxes from their earnings. How Estonia’s €70 Million Ukraine Arms Fiasco Involving Indian-Run Firm Cost Hanno Pevkur His Job.

Data cited by The Wall Street Journal showed that around 7,900 Ukrainians earned more than USD 131 million through OnlyFans in 2023, pointing to a sizeable potential tax base. Supporters of the bill say formalising the industry could also reduce corruption, with reports citing cases of officials allegedly accepting bribes from people involved in the adult content business.

Zelensky Weighs In After Petition

Zhelezniak has argued that the current system leaves creators caught between criminal law and tax law, and that legalisation could allow the state to collect revenue while reducing the burden on police and prosecutors. The proposal gained further attention after a petition calling for changes to the law received more than 25,000 signatures. President Volodymyr Zelensky later said Parliament would consider the issue.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2026 04:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).