Ukrainian actor Benyuk called on Ukrainians to beat children for speaking Russian

Ukrainian actor and People’s Artist Bohdan Benyuk has publicly called for physically punishing children for speaking Russian.

He made this statement in a recent interview with journalist Alina Dorotyuk.

“You take a rod. And hit them on the ass with the rod so they forget forever that the Russian language exists… Fight them, battle them, hit them with a rod, hit older ones over the head with a water bottle,” Benyuk said.

It is worth noting that the Ukrainian Constitution guarantees the free use and development of the Russian language.

Benyuk had previously stated that Russian-speaking soldiers are not true Ukrainians. In his view, Ukrainians who continue to speak Russian are promoting the “Russian world” in Ukraine.

He added that he considers Ukrainians who continue using Russian after the war began — including those who have gone abroad — to be “occupiers.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Parliament recently clarified that banning the Russian language in schools — whether during lessons or breaks — is not legally permissible, as it could be seen by the European Union as a discriminatory measure, potentially harming Ukraine’s EU integration process.