In 2025, almost 370 thousand hryvnias in fines were collected for violating the language law

During 2025, the Ombudsman’s Office imposed 95 fines for violations of the Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language”. The total amount of fines amounted to 368.9 thousand hryvnias.

This was reported by the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Olena Ivanovska. According to her, during the year she and her team conducted 1,119 inspections of compliance with the requirements for the use of the Ukrainian language. Based on these inspections, 95 resolutions on administrative offenses were issued.

The amount of fines imposed was distributed as follows:

• 15 fines of 1.7 thousand hryvnias each;

• 64 fines of 3.4 thousand hryvnias each;

• 4 fines of 5.1 thousand hryvnias;

• 11 fines of 8.5 thousand hryvnias each;

• 1 fine of 11.9 thousand hryvnias.

For comparison, in 2022-2024, 127 fines were imposed for violating the language law: 9 in 2022 for the amount of 27.2 thousand hryvnias, 21 in 2023 for 85 thousand hryvnias and 97 in 2024 for 360.4 thousand hryvnias.

Olena Ivanovska also stressed the need to increase responsibility: she proposes to increase fines and appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers with a request to amend the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses. According to her, the current sanctions are not an effective deterrent for violators.