In dissertations, you can refer to sources from the Russian Federation – official explanation of the Ministry of Education and Science
25 September 2025 11:14
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has officially provided clarifications on language rules in education and science. One of the key issues was the use of foreign scientific sources, including those from the aggressor state. The document was published on the Facebook page of the Red Governor public organization, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Using sources in science
In the scientific field, the use of sources from the aggressor country is not formally prohibited.
It is noted that in November 2023, a meeting of the Ethics Committee of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance was held, which approved Recommendations for the termination (restriction) of the use of sources of information of the aggressor state in scientific publications.
“These Recommendations do not impose a ban on the use of information sources of the aggressor state in scientific publications, but are ethical principles that should be applied by scientists when conducting research and publishing results,” the Ministry of Education and Science said in a response.
Thus, the Ethics Committee recommends not to use information in scientific research that is
- published on the territory of aggressor states;
- occupied territories (if the source was published during the occupation);
- created by state institutions of the aggressor states;
- created by citizens of the aggressor states who publicly justify Russian imperial policy and official propaganda.
At the same time, motivated cases of using information sources of the aggressor states are allowed:
- to illustrate, explain and critically analyze what is happening in the aggressor states;
- in scientific research that studies the aggressor states and their representatives (subject to critical analysis of the sources);
- provided that the sources do not contain propaganda, the ideology of the “Russian world”, anti-Ukrainian propaganda or other official propaganda of the aggressor states;
- if justified, if there are no analogues in the relevant field, or if the source contains statistical information.
Dissertations and other research may be performed in foreign languages if this is due to the subject of study.
At the same time, the Ministry of Education and Science emphasizes that a complete ban on Ukrainian scientists using scientific developments from the aggressor state would negatively affect the quality of research.
Earlier, the Ministry of Education and Science informed Ukrainian higher education institutions that, given the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, applicants for the degrees of Doctor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy are not
d. and Ph.D. students will not be credited with published works on the topic of their dissertation in the publications of a state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an aggressor state (hereinafter referred to as the aggressor state), regardless of the date of publication of scientific works in such publications.
