Russia Has Started To Paint Over "dangerous" Places In Books

• 10.05.2026, 20:59

Even reprints of classic works are censored.

The aggressor country Russia has moved to a new level of censorship and is applying the so-called blackout - physical shading or crossing out of text fragments in books. This was reported on May 10 by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SVR).

The Russian censorship includes references to war, criticism of Russian aggression, LGBTQ+ topics, emigration, decolonization, as well as texts about drugs or suicide. Because of this, thousands of books are checked, labeled or withdrawn from sale. The restrictions apply not only to contemporary literature, but also to new translations and reprints of classic works.

Some publishers have begun using artificial intelligence to search for "undesirable" content. The algorithms often mistakenly identify certain words or scenes as violations, causing even neutral text fragments to fall under censorship.

The intelligence agency notes that the "blackout," which used to be an artistic device, has turned into a tool for hiding information in modern Russia. At the same time, the Kremlin has not taken into account that in the digital age, readers can easily find the original text. Instead, another effect is created - the normalization of absence. Black lines become habitual and are perceived as part of the "rules of the game," the SVR noted.