WASHINGTON — The ongoing conflict initiated by Russia against Ukraine and its people has become a costly war in only a few short weeks. While much of the world continues to condemn the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin, the fighting is leaving innocent civilian populations throughout Ukraine at the whim of their invaders.
One group of civilians at particular risk are sex workers and adult entertainers that are based throughout the country. YNOT previously reported that models from Ukraine and Russia have directly contacted this journalist highlighting their concerns for their safety and security.
These performers are OnlyFans creators and have taken great risks to their personal safety and privacy to report on the status of the adult and camming industries in central and Eastern Europe amid the state of war and violence instigated by the Russian military. Because of this, some of the creators who’ve spoken to me over the past few weeks have done so under the condition that their real names and, in some cases, even their stage names are replaced with pseudonyms.
One of these models, “Tasha”, spoke with me again after offering initial remarks on her reaction to the invasion. Tasha is based in western Ukraine and has a small but actively growing base of subscribers on her premium OnlyFans account. She opened up about her current status, financial security risks, and the limitations of movement she faces due to the presence of Russian forces in her country.
I began this conversation with Tasha with a very simple question: “How are things going for you and your community?”
“I can’t say that people are used to it, but at least there is not such a strong panic,” Tasha said. “We feel that the whole world is with us, but the support is still not strong enough to stop it.”
Like many creators, Tasha relies heavily on providing her users fresh content and active engagement. Tasha explained that at the moment, she’s effectively blocked from earning an income and participating with her fans as much as she typically would, referring to this fact as “a pity.”
“I can’t record a lot of content and often be online, which is very upsetting, of course,” she explained. “It’s more upsetting that it’s still going on and apparently there is no soon end to this war.”
“There are no huge problems with provisions and it seems to be better in terms of security where I live,” Tasha positively remarked, but immediately changed her tone to the more dire state of affairs. “In fact, my income has fallen by 30 percent. Of course, you can live on this money but conditionally there is not enough money to take your family and yourself out of Ukraine if things get even worst.”
Tasha said that she continues to earn some income by selling old content to her fans, but says this isn’t sustainable. She added that custom shoots, video calls and other exclusive premium content are nearly impossible for her to produce to earn more money. On top of other complications, Tasha said this loss of income means her chances to evacuate from the country have evaporated for the time being.
“I do not have the opportunity to evacuate,” she said. “My family refuses to leave for unfamiliar places, and my relatives themselves are in the warzone.”
I asked for her to clarify the status of some of her relatives. Tasha said that her relatives stuck in Ukraine, including in areas of danger, are multi-generational families who have lived in their communities since the heyday of the Soviet Union.
“My relatives got used to security — well, comfort and security in exchange for freedom,” Tasha said. “Well, now it’s the other way around. They are unaccustomed; they are in a panic and indignant.” she said.
Tasha’s story isn’t unique, unfortunately. This war has harmed millions. Our conversation was cut short due to internet connection issues — on my end, ironically enough. Before we were cut off, Tasha echoed the plea for peace expressed by so many in Ukraine, Russia and around the world. Here’s hoping that call is heeded before things get even worse.
Protest image by Mathias P.R. Reding of Pexels
