Singer Prykhodko criticized the fueling of the language issue in Ukraine

Singer Anastasia Prikhodko has warned of the threat of a civil war in Ukraine due to the escalating language issue.

The artist spoke about the language debate in an interview on the YouTube channel “Vlast vs. Vlashchenko.”

Prikhodko commented on statements by Ukrainian blogger Olena Mandziuk, who had described herself as “toxic toward everything Moscow-related” and suggested creating “our own toxic community.”

“I think people like Mandziuk and others like her are leading our country toward civil war. I believe that this whole ‘Why not in the state language?’ movement started back in July 2022 — it just didn’t get much attention at the time. Suddenly there were a lot of bots under the posts of public figures who spoke Russian. Who fueled it, and why — we won’t analyze that. But it happened suddenly, sharply — and now every somewhat well-known person has decided they’re the arbiter of others’ fates. I don’t like it when someone tries to change or break me, or force me to do something. I don’t understand who I’m supposed to prove anything to, or why,” Prikhodko said.

According to the singer, her children speak Russian, as do many students at their school — including displaced children who don’t know Ukrainian. She said she teaches her children to help internally displaced people rather than persecute them for their language.

She also added that for her, anyone holding a Ukrainian passport is Ukrainian, and she has no intention of dividing people into Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking groups.

Earlier, blogger Olena Mandziuk caused a major scandal when she said that her children “might beat up another child who speaks the terrorists’ language.” A criminal case was later opened against her.

In September, Prikhodko herself was caught up in a language controversy after she faced backlash on social media for posting a 12th wedding anniversary message to her husband in Russian.