Spotify removes Russian artists who support the Ukraine war

In particular, artists who have been sanctioned by the EU for supporting the invasion of Ukraine

Spotify has removed the songs and profiles of Russian artists who were sanctioned by the EU for supporting the invasion of Ukraine.

Accordingly The Moscow TimesThe artists affected by the decision include the band Lyube, as well as singers Grigory Leps, Oleg Gazmanov, Polina Gagarina and Shaman. The first three artists have been subject to EU sanctions since the invasion began in 2022, while Shaman and Gagarina were sanctioned only last week.

“The platform rules clearly state that we take action when we identify content that specifically violates our content policies or local laws,” Spotify said in a statement. “After review, these artists met the minimum requirements for removal.”

In the EU’s latest sanctions package, Shaman is accused of having “participated in several concerts organized by the Kremlin, including the Kremlin’s anniversary event for that war, and of giving concerts in the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, Gagarina is said to have earned “significant income” from state-sponsored events celebrating the annexation of Crimea and other Ukrainian regions under Russian control.

Back in 2018, Spotify introduced a controversial hate content policy, which was then withdrawn a few weeks later after artists such as Kendrick Lamar reportedly expressed concerns that the policy unfairly targeted people of color.

Spotify completely shut down its service in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in March 2022.