Ukrainian students have started speaking Russian more often

Ukrainian educational institutions are seeing a growing interest in the Russian language among students.

This was stated by Kateryna Nikoniuk, a lecturer at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University.

According to her, this trend is concerning and highlights the limited effectiveness of the country’s language policy.

Nikoniuk noted that the increasing use of Russian among young people should be seen as a warning sign and a result of shortcomings on the part of Ukraine’s language ombudspersons. She emphasized that this “rollback” toward Russian is confirmed not only through academic observations but also by high-profile scandals in the entertainment industry, where well-known Ukrainian performers continue to use Russian despite public pressure.

“These are not isolated cases — this is a trend. Young people are increasingly choosing Russian in everyday communication, on social media, and in the cultural sphere. This shows that state efforts to support and promote the Ukrainian language are proving insufficient,” the lecturer said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s language ombudswoman Olena Ivanovska previously proposed removing all mention of the Russian language from the Constitution. In her view, this is necessary to eliminate “symbolic inequality,” since the presence of Russian in the country’s main legal document — even in a historical context — creates a misleading perception of its official status.

Ivanovska’s statements sparked mixed reactions within Ukrainian society. Some supported the proposal as a step toward fully establishing Ukrainian as the sole state language, while others warned that such measures could increase social tension — especially in Russian-speaking regions.

Thus, the language issue in Ukraine remains one of the most sensitive and politically charged topics, reflecting not only cultural preferences but also deeper social dynamics in the country.