Human Interest

OnlyFans Restores Russian Creators' Accounts After They Were Locked Out amid War in Ukraine

"As a global business, OnlyFans stands by our creators and understand that they are not responsible for these heinous acts," the company said in a statement

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Published on February 28, 2022 04:50 PM

Russian OnlyFans creators who had their accounts locked amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine have now regained access to their content and funds, according to reports.

Several Russian OnlyFans creators discovered they were unable to retrieve their earnings or sign in to their accounts after Russia began its attack on Ukraine last week, according to The Daily Beast. Many users sell access to personal photo and video content on the platform, which can often be their primary source of income.

"Woke up and got this message from @onlyfans @OnlyFansSupport," wrote one Russian OnlyFans creator named Kanra in a since-deleted tweet archived by The Daily Beast. "They decided to delete my account without any warnings! I had money there and without them I will not be able to live."

"Why they do this to ordinary people?! You decided to ruin our lives??!" the content creator added.

A 21-year-old creator told the outlet that being locked out of their OnlyFans account meant they could no longer "buy food or pay my rent."

"I have taken part in several protests since I moved to Moscow when I was 18," the creator told The Daily Beast. "We are not Putin! All my prayers for peace and the Ukraine people."

OnlyFans, which is based in London, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

The company told Rolling Stone that the creators were unable to access their payments after select Russian banks were disconnected from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) as part of sanctions against the country.

SWIFT is an internal messaging system connecting more than 11,000 banks in over 200 countries and territories. The decision to remove Russian banks from the service meant they were cut off from much of the world's financial system, CNBC reported.

On Monday, OnlyFans confirmed to The Daily Beast that they have begun restoring the accounts of creators who had been affected by the lockout.

"We are disheartened by the recent tragic events in Ukraine. As a global business, OnlyFans stands by our creators and understand that they are not responsible for these heinous acts," a statement to the outlet read. "After experiencing financial restrictions we have been able to restore account activity for creators in all countries."

"Their accounts will have full functionalities as long as we continue to have payment methods to support them," the company said. "We were not terminating or suspending any creator accounts based on the creator's location, and we are doing everything we can to support our community."

RELATED VIDEO: 'Dangerous Moment' for World Order, President Biden Says U.S. Will Oppose Putin's 'Sinister Vision'

Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after the country invaded on Thursday, with forces moving from the north, south and east. Details of the attack and the fighting change by the day, but this is the first major land conflict in Europe in decades — and hundreds have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Thousands more people have fled or tried to escape Ukraine.

The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn widespread condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions have been imposed against Russia.

Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the interest of so-called "peacekeeping."

Various countries have also pledged aid or military support to Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has pleaded for peace talks while urging his country to resist

The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.