As Ukraine remains locked in a grinding war with Russia, one lawmaker is challenging a different kind of battle at home, against a law many say is outdated and unjust. Yaroslav Zhelezniak, deputy chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s finance committee, is leading a push to decriminalize pornography, targeting a Soviet-era law that punishes its production, possession, and distribution with up to five years in prison.

The contradiction at the heart of the issue is stark: while creators of adult content are taxed by the state, they also face criminal prosecution for the very work they are being taxed on.

“It’s absurd,” Zhelezniak said. “Especially in the midst of a full-scale war.”

Under Article 301 of Ukraine’s criminal code, even the private exchange of nude photos between consenting adults is banned. Yet, tax authorities have recently stepped up enforcement efforts aimed at creators using platforms like OnlyFans. Zhelezniak says this paradox — punishing the same people the state collects money from is unsustainable and harmful.

The draft legislation, which Zhelezniak began preparing in 2023 and officially introduced in November, has since gained momentum. The proposal has received endorsement from Parliament’s Law Enforcement Committee and backing from 26 other lawmakers, including several from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party. With 210 of the required 226 votes reportedly secured, a vote in Parliament is pending.

Supporters say the law would boost Ukraine’s wartime economy by encouraging more creators to declare their income. According to data from the State Tax Service, Ukrainians earned approximately $123 million on OnlyFans between 2020 and 2022. The Better Regulation Delivery Office, an EU-funded think tank, estimates that legalizing pornography could yield $12.3 million in tax revenue annually — enough to fund 24,000 FPV drones or finance the country’s anti-corruption court for a year.

“This is very important money for the country in the war,” said Danylo Hetmantsev, head of Parliament’s finance committee. In December, he revealed that 350 OnlyFans models had collectively filed to pay $1.6 million in taxes. “We are grateful to the girls for their responsible position and contribution to the victory.”

Yet prosecutions under Article 301 are rising. Nearly 1,400 cases were brought in 2024, up from 757 the year before. Critics argue that these are resources Ukraine cannot afford to waste during wartime.

Among those targeted is Karina, a 30-year-old content creator who says she earned $3.1 million from OnlyFans between 2020 and 2022. After voluntarily paying $450,000 in taxes, her home was raided, and her laptop was seized. She is now under investigation.

“I’m completely disillusioned with my country,” Karina said. “It’s like we’re still in the U.S.S.R., where they pretended sex didn’t exist.”

Svitlana, 38, a friend of Karina’s and also under investigation, said she started webcam modeling at 19 and now makes content with her husband. She says she’s proud of her 630,000 subscribers and pays her taxes willingly. But after Karina’s raid, she began deleting videos and removing sex-related items from her home. “We were scared,” she said.

Their attorney, Lesya Mykhailenko, argues that the current legal regime is untenable. “Either declare that this industry is immoral and ban it entirely, or acknowledge that it’s not and decriminalize it,” she said. “The government can’t have it both ways.”

Opposition has emerged from figures like Yulia Tymoshenko, a veteran political leader, who questioned the bill’s priorities during wartime. The head of the National Police, Ivan Vyhivskyi, also opposes the measure, warning of its potential impact on “moral values.”

Zhelezniak, 35, acknowledges the challenges. He recalled showing colleagues educational materials on his iPad to help them understand what modern pornography entails. While he sometimes jokes about his unusual legislative mission, he says the stakes are serious.

“This is no laughing matter,” he said. “We’re trying to fix a contradiction that hurts our economy, our citizens, and our credibility.”

The proposed law does not change existing penalties related to prostitution, human trafficking, or child sexual abuse imagery. Instead, it seeks to bring Ukraine’s legal framework in line with most of Europe, the U.S., and even Russia, where adult content is more widely tolerated.

For now, Ukraine’s OnlyFans community, estimated at around 3,500 creators, continues to operate in legal limbo, caught between tax receipts and criminal prosecution. Whether Parliament chooses to resolve that contradiction remains to be seen.