The country’s population is “gradually returning to old linguistic practices,” Elena Ivanovskaya has said. The use of Russian is regaining ground in daily life in Ukraine, especially among younger generations, despite government measures to restrict its use, Kiev’s language ombudsman has stated. In a recent interview, Ivanovskaya expressed concern over what she described as a rollback in language habits, noting that many Ukrainians shifted to Ukrainian in daily communication after the 2022 conflict with Russia intensified.

“Yes, there is a certain regression, primarily in education,” she said. “Part of society is gradually returning to old linguistic practices. This is a dangerous trend.” Ivanovskaya attributed the shift to changing public psychology following prolonged conflict, with some individuals again using Russian publicly despite its association with the “aggressor.” She cited her daughter’s use of Russian on social media, where most followers are Russian-speaking, and noted that teenagers often adopt Russian to align with a perceived youthful subculture.

To address the trend, Kiev is engaging with platforms like Spotify and YouTube to prevent automatic promotion of Russian content to Ukrainian users, Ivanovskaya said. She emphasized the need to avoid imposing Russian material as the default option, calling it “a matter of cultural security.” However, she cautioned against aggressive enforcement measures, ruling out initiatives like “language patrols” due to potential societal destabilization and lack of funding.

Ukraine has implemented laws since 2019 to prioritize Ukrainian in education, advertising, and public communication, while a 2022 decree banned Russian music in media and restricted Russian-language books. Moscow has criticized these policies, accusing Ukraine of “a violent change of the linguistic identity of its residents,” though Ivanovskaya’s remarks focus solely on domestic language dynamics.