From Casinos to Propaganda: Which Websites Are Being Blocked on a Mass Scale in Ukraine
7 July 17:53
RESEARCH
During the first half of 2026, Ukrainian government agencies and regulators decided to restrict access to 2,465 websites. Nearly 97% of all blocks fell into just three categories: online casinos, websites illegally selling alcohol and tobacco, and propaganda sites. This is according to a study by the UABlockList service, as reported by
Analysts note that these three categories in particular drove the main trend in blocking during the first half of 2026.
“About 97% of all blocked resources fell into just three categories—online casinos, alcohol/tobacco, and propaganda. It was these categories that defined the trends of the first half of the year, while other blocking measures remained largely isolated or sporadic,” the study states.
Online casinos became the clear leader in terms of the number of blocks
Illegal online casinos and their “mirror sites” accounted for the largest share of blocked resources.
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UABlockList notes that the first large-scale measures targeting such sites were adopted as early as February.
“Illegal gambling sites were the largest category of blocked sites in the first half of 2026. Of the 2,465 blocked sites, 2,144 were associated with online casinos and their ‘mirror’ sites,” the study’s authors note.
According to their data, access to 443 such sites was restricted in February–March, to another 365 in April, to 397 in May, and to as many as 939 addresses in June following decisions by the state agency PlayCity, which were enforced by the NCEK.
Second place: illegal sale of alcohol and tobacco
Another 157 websites were blocked for selling excise goods without the appropriate licenses.
“These were primarily online stores offering alcohol, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, POD systems, and disposable e-cigarettes with delivery throughout Ukraine without licenses. Some of these sites used identical designs, similar names, and multiple domains simultaneously, which allowed their owners to quickly resume operations after being blocked,” the study states.
A total of 91 propaganda websites were blocked
The third-largest category consisted of news websites—a total of 91 sites.
The study notes that at the beginning of the year, the sites blocked were predominantly Russian, as well as some German, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, and Belarusian sites that spread disinformation about Ukraine and Russian aggression.
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In the spring, resources belonging to “Yunarmiya” and the publishing house “Russkaya Ideya” were also subject to NSDC sanctions, and by the end of June, the list expanded significantly following the NSDC’s decision regarding 19 Russian media resources.
“At the end of June, the category expanded significantly following the implementation of the NSDC’s decision to impose sanctions on 19 Russian media websites and information platforms,” UABlockList notes.
What other sites were blocked
In addition to the three main categories, government agencies blocked the following over the past six months:
- 29 fake pharmacies and medical services;
- 18 book websites;
- 17 fraudulent websites;
- 9 Russian online TV and streaming platforms.
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Among the fraudulent resources were phishing sites that impersonated NABU, “Diyu,” and the National Police, and used the “Kyivstar” brand for fake investment offers.
Separately, the study’s authors drew attention to book websites where, during inspections , they found publications from the Russian publishers “Eksmo,” “AST,” and “MIF,” as well as pirated editions of works by well-known international authors.
There were also cases of unblocking
According to UABlockList, there were also several instances of restrictions being lifted during the first half of the year.
Specifically, in April, access was restored to the add.ua website (“Apteka Dobrogo Dnya”) and the smartpeople.com.ua site, which had been mistakenly blocked due to the similarity of its name to that of a blocked book website. Also, between April and June, restrictions were lifted on five additional pharmacy websites, including the website of the “Med-Service” chain.
Summarizing the monitoring results, UABlockList emphasized that website blocking remains one of the most dynamic areas of government regulation of the Ukrainian segment of the internet.
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