Officials in the Odesa region have warned of a dangerous level of Russification in the south

In the Odesa region, during an off-site meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, the issue of the language situation in the region was raised, specifically the long-standing Russification and the low level of Ukrainian language use in the southern part of the region.

This was reported by Anna Nerush, a representative of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language in Odesa.

According to her, the long-standing Russification of the Odesa region, coupled with strong public demand for the full-fledged use of the Ukrainian language, constitutes the main contradiction in the region’s language policy.

Nerush noted that for several years now, Odesa has ranked second only to Kyiv in the number of complaints regarding violations of language legislation. At the same time, she said, the vast majority of such complaints come from Odesa itself, while the rest of the region shows a “dangerously low” level of civic engagement.

Separately, the representative of the language ombudsman drew attention to the high percentage of violations identified within state authorities and local self-government bodies in the Odesa region.

“The authorities cannot demand that businesses comply with the language law if they themselves violate that law,” Nerush emphasized.

During the meeting, the language situation in the southern part of the Odesa region was also discussed. According to Nerush, the term “multi-ethnicity” is sometimes used there to mask the large-scale Russification of the region.

She also thanked the Committee for draft law No. 15412, which provides for amendments to the legislation on the state language. In her view, the need for such changes is critical under current conditions.

Another issue raised was the territorial isolation of southern Odesa Oblast and its insufficient integration into Ukraine’s cultural and informational space. Following the field meeting, relevant decisions are expected to be adopted.

Oleg Kipper, head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, also stated that issues related to the Ukrainian language, culture, historical memory, and information security are directly linked to national security.

According to him, since 2024, six new towers have been installed in the Odesa region to block the broadcast of Russian radio content from the territory of Tiraspol. The region is also carrying out the decolonization of street names.

Separately, the meeting discussed external information influences, particularly from Russia, Transnistria, and Gagauzia.

Earlier, Intent reported that the Russian signal can still be picked up on a radio receiver, despite statementsby Oleg Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional State Administration,regardingthe operation of repeaters that “block” Russian propaganda along the border with unrecognized Transnistria. 

Андрій Колісніченко