Tag: Volodymyr Zelensky

  • Zelenskyy Fires More Aides In A Reshuffle As Russia Launches Drones And Missiles Across Ukraine | world news

    KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed a longtime aide and several advisers on Saturday in a continuing reshuffle while Russia unleashed fresh attacks overnight. Zelenskyy dismissed top aide Serhiy Shefir from his post of first assistant, where he had served since 2019. The Ukrainian president also let go three advisers, and two presidential representatives overseeing volunteer activities and soldiers’ rights.

    No explanation was given immediately for the latest changes in a wide-reaching personnel shakeup over recent months. It included the dismissal on Tuesday of Oleksii Danilov, who served as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and Valerii Zaluzhnyi as head of the armed forces on Feb. 8. He was appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom earlier this month.

    Ukraine’s air force said Saturday that Russia launched 12 Shahed drones overnight, nine of which were shot down, and fired four missiles into eastern Ukraine. Russia unleashed a barrage of 38 missiles, 75 airstrikes and 98 attacks from multiple rocket launchers over the last 24 hours, Ukraine’s armed forces said in social media posts.

    Ukrainian energy company Centrenergo announced Saturday that the Zmiiv Thermal Power Plant, one of the largest thermal power plants in the eastern Kharkiv region, was completely destroyed following Russian shelling last week. Power outage schedules were still in place for around 120,000 people in the region, where 700,000 people had lost electricity after the plant was hit on March 22.

    Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent days, causing significant damage in several regions. Officials in the Poltava region said Saturday there had been “several hits” to an infrastructure facility, without specifying whether it was an energy facility.

    Meanwhile, the toll of Friday’s mass barrage of 99 drones and missiles hitting regions across Ukraine came to light on Saturday, with local officials in the Kherson region on Saturday morning announcing the death of one civilian. A resident of the Dnipropetrovsk region died in a hospital from shell wounds, according to regional Gov. Serhiy Lisak.

  • 'War With People's Everyday Lives': Zelenskyy After Russia Launches Largest Airstrike On Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure | world news

    Kyiv: In a significant escalation of hostilities, Russia has unleashed a devastating airstrike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, marking one of the most extensive attacks in the ongoing conflict between the two nations. The assault, characterized by a barrage of drone and missile strikes, targeted vital energy facilities across Ukraine, leaving a trail of destruction and plunging millions into darkness.

    The attacks, which unfolded on Friday, have resulted in catastrophic consequences, with reports indicating the loss of at least five lives and widespread power outages affecting over a million individuals. Ukrainian authorities have scrambled to address the emergency, seeking assistance from neighboring countries such as Poland, Romania, and Slovakia to mitigate the impact of the disrupted energy supply.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasted no time in condemning the brazen attack, denouncing it as a direct assault on the lives and livelihoods of ordinary citizens. Describing the strikes as tantamount to “war with people's everyday lives,” President Zelenskyy reiterated his plea for Western allies to provide critical air defense systems to bolster Ukraine's defenses against further aggression.

    “The Russian airstrikes this morning were heinous, with the deliberate goal of causing structural damage to society's life rather than military damage to our ability to defend ourselves. This is terror, by definition, without any disguises,” President Zelenskyy stated emphatically.


    Russian air strikes this morning were heinous, with the deliberate goal of causing structural damage to society's life rather than military damage to our ability to defend ourselves. This is terror, by definition, without any disguises.

    The strikes harmed over thirty people… pic.twitter.com/8IUikfXlxm — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 22, 2024

    The impact of the strikes has been felt acutely across Ukraine, with significant damage inflicted on key energy infrastructure. Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Oleksiy Kuleba, revealed that over a million consumers were left without electricity, with major outages reported in regions such as Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Poltava.

    Energy Minister German Galushchenko described the onslaught as the largest attack on Ukraine's energy industry in recent memory, underscoring the severity of the situation. The strikes targeted critical infrastructure, including power transmission lines and the Zaporizhia power plant, Europe's largest nuclear energy site.

    The attack on the Zaporizhzhia power plant, seized by Russian troops in the early days of the conflict but powered by Ukrainian lines, raised concerns about the safety and stability of the facility. Although shelling damaged one of the power transmission lines feeding the plant, authorities have assured that there is no immediate risk of a breach or nuclear incident.

    Despite the widespread destruction, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal sought to reassure the public that the situation in the energy sector was under control, and widespread blackouts were not necessary. Efforts to restore power and repair damaged infrastructure are already underway, with specialized teams mobilized to mitigate the impact of the attacks.

    As the dust settles on the aftermath of this devastating airstrike, the international community has condemned Russia's aggression and expressed solidarity with Ukraine. Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, called for urgent action to provide additional air defense interceptors to Ukraine, stressing the need to defend against further attacks.

    The attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure underscores the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for concerted efforts to address the ongoing conflict. As tensions continue to simmer, the plight of the Ukrainian people remains at the forefront of global attention, with calls for justice and accountability echoing across diplomatic corridors.

  • In Conversation With Ukrainian President Zelensky, Russian President Putin, PM Modi Emphasises On Dialogue For Conflict Resolution

    PM Modi reiterated India’s people-centric approach and called for dialogue and diplomacy for the resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

  • Berlin film fest to beam in Ukrainian President Zelensky for opener with actor Sean Penn

    By AFP

    BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join Hollywood actor Sean Penn by video link on Thursday at the opening of the Berlinale, Europe’s first major film festival of the year, as it spotlights the fight for freedom in Ukraine and Iran.

    The 73rd annual event, traditionally the most politically minded of the three big European cinema showcases, will mark the Russian invasion’s first anniversary as well as anti-regime protests in Iran with new feature films and documentaries.

    US actor Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”), head of the jury for the Golden and Silver Bear top prizes, told reporters it was “an enormous opportunity to have a hand in highlighting beautiful things” in the face of global turmoil.

    “It’s the job of an artist to take a disgusting and ugly thing and sort of transmute it and put it through your body and pump out something more beautiful…in response to the world that’s falling apart around us,” she said.

    Artistic director Carlo Chatrian said the festival stood with “the suffering population, the millions who left Ukraine and the artists (who) have remained defending the country and continue filming the war,” adding that it was a “special honour” to welcome Zelensky digitally.

    Penn will appear on stage at the opening gala in the German capital and introduce Zelensky who will speak via video stream, organisers said.

    The two-time Oscar winner, who was filming in Kyiv at the start of the Russian onslaught, will on Friday premiere “Superpower”, tracking Zelensky’s transformation from comedian to president to war hero.

    “Zelensky was two completely different creatures from one day to the next,” Penn told entertainment industry magazine Variety this week about the impact of the invasion. “He was a spirit in waiting.”

    Beyond movie screenings, the Berlinale plans panel discussions with embattled directors and red-carpet protests in a show of “solidarity” with the people of Iran and Ukraine.

    Animation back in forceThe Berlinale has barred filmmakers, companies and reporters with direct ties to the Russian or Iranian governments from taking part in the event, including its sprawling European Film Market, a key movie rights exchange for the industry.

    Hollywood actors Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway and Marisa Tomei will later Thursday present romantic comedy “She Came to Me”, the first of nearly 300 new movies from around the world to screen during the 11-day event.

    Nineteen films will vie for the main awards, including British-US co-production “Manodrome” featuring Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody in a thriller about an Uber driver who is lured into a cult while he is expecting his first child.

    Two Asian animated pictures will also join the running, “Art College 1994” by China’s Liu Jian and Makoto Shinkai’s “Suzume”, the first Japanese anime to compete at the Berlinale since Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” clinched the Golden Bear in 2002.

    READ HERE | Ukraine directors bring horrors of Russian invasion to Sundance film festival

    Gold for SpielbergThree-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg is to collect an honorary Golden Bear for his life’s work, spotlighted in a retrospective.

    British actor Helen Mirren will unveil the keenly awaited “Golda” in which she stars as Israel’s only female prime minister, Golda Meir.

    And Vicky Krieps, the acclaimed Luxembourg-born actor from “Phantom Thread” and “Corsage”, will present her turn as renowned Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann in a biopic by veteran German director Margarethe von Trotta.

    One-third of the films in competition are by women, who make up 40 percent of all directors represented at the festival.

    “Love to Love You”, a documentary about disco queen Donna Summer, who defined an era on the dance floor and helped inspire Beyonce’s latest album “Renaissance”, will have its world premiere.

    The film was co-directed by Summer’s daughter, Brooklyn Sudano, and features never-before-seen home videos.

    The Berlinale ranks with Cannes and Venice among Europe’s top film festivals. It will hand out the top prizes on February 25 before wrapping up the next day with screenings of popular movies from this year’s selection.

    ALSO READ | Golden Globe-winning ‘Naatu Naatu’ song from ‘RRR’ has a Ukrainian connection

    BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join Hollywood actor Sean Penn by video link on Thursday at the opening of the Berlinale, Europe’s first major film festival of the year, as it spotlights the fight for freedom in Ukraine and Iran.

    The 73rd annual event, traditionally the most politically minded of the three big European cinema showcases, will mark the Russian invasion’s first anniversary as well as anti-regime protests in Iran with new feature films and documentaries.

    US actor Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”), head of the jury for the Golden and Silver Bear top prizes, told reporters it was “an enormous opportunity to have a hand in highlighting beautiful things” in the face of global turmoil.

    “It’s the job of an artist to take a disgusting and ugly thing and sort of transmute it and put it through your body and pump out something more beautiful…in response to the world that’s falling apart around us,” she said.

    Artistic director Carlo Chatrian said the festival stood with “the suffering population, the millions who left Ukraine and the artists (who) have remained defending the country and continue filming the war,” adding that it was a “special honour” to welcome Zelensky digitally.

    Penn will appear on stage at the opening gala in the German capital and introduce Zelensky who will speak via video stream, organisers said.

    The two-time Oscar winner, who was filming in Kyiv at the start of the Russian onslaught, will on Friday premiere “Superpower”, tracking Zelensky’s transformation from comedian to president to war hero.

    “Zelensky was two completely different creatures from one day to the next,” Penn told entertainment industry magazine Variety this week about the impact of the invasion. “He was a spirit in waiting.”

    Beyond movie screenings, the Berlinale plans panel discussions with embattled directors and red-carpet protests in a show of “solidarity” with the people of Iran and Ukraine.

    Animation back in force
    The Berlinale has barred filmmakers, companies and reporters with direct ties to the Russian or Iranian governments from taking part in the event, including its sprawling European Film Market, a key movie rights exchange for the industry.

    Hollywood actors Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway and Marisa Tomei will later Thursday present romantic comedy “She Came to Me”, the first of nearly 300 new movies from around the world to screen during the 11-day event.

    Nineteen films will vie for the main awards, including British-US co-production “Manodrome” featuring Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody in a thriller about an Uber driver who is lured into a cult while he is expecting his first child.

    Two Asian animated pictures will also join the running, “Art College 1994” by China’s Liu Jian and Makoto Shinkai’s “Suzume”, the first Japanese anime to compete at the Berlinale since Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” clinched the Golden Bear in 2002.

    READ HERE | Ukraine directors bring horrors of Russian invasion to Sundance film festival

    Gold for Spielberg
    Three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg is to collect an honorary Golden Bear for his life’s work, spotlighted in a retrospective.

    British actor Helen Mirren will unveil the keenly awaited “Golda” in which she stars as Israel’s only female prime minister, Golda Meir.

    And Vicky Krieps, the acclaimed Luxembourg-born actor from “Phantom Thread” and “Corsage”, will present her turn as renowned Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann in a biopic by veteran German director Margarethe von Trotta.

    One-third of the films in competition are by women, who make up 40 percent of all directors represented at the festival.

    “Love to Love You”, a documentary about disco queen Donna Summer, who defined an era on the dance floor and helped inspire Beyonce’s latest album “Renaissance”, will have its world premiere.

    The film was co-directed by Summer’s daughter, Brooklyn Sudano, and features never-before-seen home videos.

    The Berlinale ranks with Cannes and Venice among Europe’s top film festivals. It will hand out the top prizes on February 25 before wrapping up the next day with screenings of popular movies from this year’s selection.

    ALSO READ | Golden Globe-winning ‘Naatu Naatu’ song from ‘RRR’ has a Ukrainian connection

  • Students from India, including Karnataka, march in groups in Kharkiv risking their lives

    By PTI

    HAVERI: Students and workers from India, along with a large number of people from other countries, were marching on Wednesday in Kharkiv in war-ravaged Ukraine towards the nearest railway station risking their lives holding the Indian national flag, the father of one student said.

    “About 1,000 people, including 700 Indians, are marching towards the railway station holding the Indian flag. They are going to the railway station, which is seven kilometres from their bunker, by walk as no vehicles are available,” Venkatesh Vaishyar told PTI.

    Venkatesh’s son Amit V Vaishyar (23) is a fifth-year medical student in Kharkiv Medical College.

    He is among three students from Chalageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district studying MBBS in Kharkiv Medical College.

    ALSO READ: Karnataka parents demand Modi make use of friendship with Russia to evacuate students

    Amit’s cousin Suman (24), son of Sridhar Murthy Vaishyar, is also a student there and both of them are trying to return from the strife-torn country.

    On Tuesday, their junior 22-year-old Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagouda was killed in a shelling when he moved out of the bunker to fetch some food, water and exchange currency.

    “Students have no option but to take the risk as they don’t have food and water. They are relying on God now and walking towards the railway station,” Venkatesh said.

    With tears in his eyes, he said Amit is his only son and if something happens to him he will not be able to live.

    Meanwhile, Naveen’s father Shekarappa Gyanagouda broke down as he saw the photograph of his son’s body on WhatsApp, which is in a morgue in Kharkiv.

    ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine war – Many Karnataka students board trains to escape conflict

    Naveen is the second son of Gyanagouda.

    His elder brother Harsha is an MSc in Agriculture and is with the parents.

    Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday told reporters in Bengaluru that he will make sincere efforts to bring Naveen’s body back to India.

    “I will speak to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to get updates of the efforts to get Naveen’s body. We will make a serious effort,” Bommai said.

    According to him, the Indian officials have intensified their efforts to evacuate people stranded in Kharkiv, especially students.

    Bommai said 26 aircraft would be pressed into service to bring the stranded people back to India.

    ALSO READ: Efforts underway to bring back mortal remains of Naveen, says CM Bommai

    The students have been asked to come from different directions.

    Since the war is raging, evacuation is a bit problematic, Bommai said adding that the Ukrainian authorities have asked the evacuees to form groups and march towards the railway station.

    The Chief Minister said efforts have been made to slowly evacuate people.

    Regarding compensation to Naveen’s family, Bommai said the government can do anything but the priority right now is to bring the body to India.

    “Whatever is in our hand we will do it. We will certainly give compensation. The family is in pain. We have to get the body first for which we have intensified our efforts,” Bommai said.

    Another unidentified student from Haveri district sustained injuries due to the shelling in Kharkiv, Bommai had said on Tuesday.

  • Ukraine president becomes Madonna fan after she slams Putin

    By Online Desk

    Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly follows singer-songwriter and Grammy awards winner Madonna on Instagram after she reportedly uploaded a 30-second video montage of the Ukraine crisis alongside clips of herself dancing to her hit song, Sorry. 

    Madonna recently took to social media to share the video set to a remix of her 2005 song.

    Russia’s Pointless and Greed Driven Invasion Of the Ukraine MUST be stopped!!, she declared.

    “Putin has Violated Every Human Rights Accord in Existence. Putin has no right to try to erase the existence of Ukraine,” Madonna captioned her video. “We support you President Zelensky!! We are praying for you and your country!” she said.

    “We support you President Zelensky!! We are praying for you and your country! God Bless You All!”

    The 63-year-old singer’s post asked people to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

    She concluded by saying, “God Bless You All! Lets not feel helpless when confronted by Geo-political Actions of this magnitude. There are things we can do.”

  • Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren seeks Amit Shah’s intervention for safe return of stranded people from Ukraine

    By PTI

    RANCHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday sought the Centre’s immediate intervention for the safe return of people who are stranded in strife-torn Ukraine.

    In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the chief minister also shared a list of persons from Jharkhand stuck in the crisis-hit country.

    The letter read, “Estimated 20,000 Indians including 18,000 students are believed to be stranded in Ukraine. My office is constantly being approached by the relatives of those persons from Jharkhand who are stuck in Ukraine during war times. They are in a state of panic and horror and compelled to move with limited stock of essential provisions to makeshift safety places like underground metro rail lines.

    “I feel we must reach out to them in this hour of crisis and make best possible efforts to evacuate them back home.”

    Soren requested the Home Minister to instruct officials concerned of the Government of India to make necessary arrangements to facilitate the quick evacuation of Jharkhand students stuck in Ukraine.

    “Till such time they could be accommodated in safe places with an adequate supply of essentials,” the letter read.

    An official with the state control room said, till 5 pm on Saturday, the Jharkhand government had managed to trace 86 students from the state stuck in Ukraine.

    “We are revising the list and a fresh one will be released by Sunday evening,” the official said.

    The chief minister had also announced that the state government would reimburse travel expenses of all Jharkhand residents who are stranded and returning on their own cost from crisis-hit Ukraine.

  • Air India​ evacuation flights costing Rs 7-8 lakh per hour: Source

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: As Air India ferries hundreds of Indians stranded in Ukraine, the cost of operating a two-way evacuation flight will be more than Rs 1.10 crore and the amount will go up depending on the duration of the flights.

    The airline is operating the services with wide-body Boeing 787 plane, better known as Dreamliner, from neighbouring countries of conflict-ridden Ukraine, including Romania and Hungary.

    It has already brought back hundreds of Indians.

    ALSO READ: I need ammunition, not a ride: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declines US offer to evacuate Kyiv

    The flights have been chartered by the Indian government.

    An airline source told PTI that the cost of operating a chartered flight with the Dreamliner is around Rs 7 to 8 lakh per hour and the total amount will depend “on where we are going and how far we are going”.

    The total cost will include expenses related to crew, fuel, navigation, landing and parking charges.

    Also, considering that these flights are for relatively long duration, there will be two sets of crew onboard.

    ALSO READ: Honesty, reassurance – How to talk to kids about Ukraine

    The crew that operates the first leg of the flight will take rest in the return leg and will be replaced by another set of crew, the source said on condition of anonymity.

    Currently, Air India is operating flights to Bucharest (Romania) and Budapest (Hungary) and both are offline stations for the airline, which means it does not have scheduled services to these places.

    According to flight tracking website FlightAware, the flight from Bucharest to Mumbai that landed on Saturday night was for a duration of nearly six hours.

    The flight from Budapest to Delhi was for about six hours and another flight from Delhi to Bucharest took over seven hours.

    ALSO READ: Serbia rejects Western calls to join sanctions on Russia

    An Air India flight from Bucharest to Delhi took over 5 hours.

    As the cost will be between Rs 7 to 8 lakh per hour, the total cost for a round trip will be more than Rs 1.10 crore.

    The figure is calculated under the assumption that overall duration of the to and fro flight is around 14 hours.

    The expenses will shoot up in case the duration is longer.

    EXPLAINER: What does Ukraine invasion mean for energy bills?

    The government is not charging people for the evacuation flights.

    Some state governments have also announced that they will bear the expenses of people from their respective states who are returning from Ukraine.

    The Dreamliner has more than 250 seats.

    According to pilots who fly Dreamliners, the aircraft on an average consumes 5 tonnes of fuel per hour.

    ALSO READ: NATO leaders agree to bolster eastern forces after invasion

    The source said that once the operations are complete, the exact cost will be worked out and then the airline will send the bill to the government for reimbursement.

    Air India did not offer comments on queries about the cost involved in operating the evacuation flights.

    According to the source, the overall cost will be comparatively lower if the chartered flight is operated to a scheduled destination as already factors like getting fuel would have been taken care of.

    In evacuation operations, the airline operates a ferry flight from India to the destination concerned.

    ALSO READ: Protests resume as Russia seeks to quash invasion critics

    Generally, a ferry flight refers to service wherein the plane does not have people onboard except the crew members.

    Till now, a few Air India flights have returned with Indians, who were stranded in Ukraine, from Bucharest and Budapest.

    Indians crossed the Ukranian borders with Romania and Hungary, respectively, before they were flown out from these destinations.

    On February 24, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that around 16,000 Indians, mainly students, were stranded in Ukraine, which is now engaged in an intense battle with Russia.

    ALSO READ: For Taiwan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine feels far away

    Since then, over 900 Indians have returned and there would be now around 15,000 Indians in Ukraine and its border areas.

    Ukranian airspace is closed for civilian flights since February 24 amid the Russian offensive.

  • Two-time Oscar-nominated Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky blasts ‘tragic mistake’

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Two-time Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky, who lives and works in Russia, has said he felt “unbearably ashamed” and “incredibly, deeply sad” when his son called from Kiev on Thursday with news that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had begun.

    Rodnyansky, who was born in Kiev, said in an email interview with ‘Variety’: “Of course, I realised before that the situation might go this way, but I still couldn’t believe that missiles are exploding in Kiev.’

    The producer of the Golden Globe winner ‘Leviathan’ and Cesar award-winner ‘Loveless’ said: “I couldn’t imagine that Kiev, my native town, where my relatives, friends and colleagues live, where my parents and grandparents are buried, will be struck by missiles of the country where I have been living and working for the last 20 years, together with my family and friends.”

    Trying to make sense of the current crisis, Rodnyansky drew a parallel to the Soviet Union’s war in Afghanistan, which began more than 40 years ago and raged for a decade.

    He told ‘Variety’: “I remember very well how the Soviet government explained to us the absolute necessity of the Afghan war. And how it took 10 years, 15,000 Soviet soldiers and nearly a million Afghans killed to admit that it was a tragic error.”

    Russia’s war on Ukraine, Rodnyansky said, is “another tragic mistake”. It is not because “the national economy will crash, our country will stagnate in global isolation and deepen the ever-growing technological gap,” he said, “but because the shame for this mistake will never go away. It will stay with our children and our grandchildren.”

  • AJR cancels Russian tour due to Ukraine invasion

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Multiplatinum indie-pop trio AJR has cancelled their upcoming concert date in Russia, scheduled for October after the country struck Ukraine.

    “We are sad to announce that we will be cancelling our upcoming show in Russia,” the band wrote on social media.

    “Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country’s unprovoked and criminal behavior. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine. At this point, the best thing you can do is share ACCURATE info.”

    They’re hardly the only major Western act with tour dates scheduled in the country. While the status of many tours is unclear given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, dozens of artists are scheduled to perform in Russia in the coming weeks, and especially in the summer, reports variety.com.

    According to artist websites, Songkick and other sources, in Moscow alone, Saint Jhn, Tricky, Disclosure and Bring Me the Horizon have shows scheduled for March and April, with Khalid, OneRepublic, Yungblud, Girl in Red, Judas Priest, Denzel Curry, OneRepublic and a Green Day concert at Spartak Stadium slated for May.

    Those are just a preamble for what was looking to be a very busy summer concert season, including the alt-rock-leaning Bol festival and two Park Live festivals along with summer dates by Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Imagine Dragons, Bjork, Eric Clapton and others.

    Geoff Meall, a London-based agent for Paradigm Agency, tells Variety: “We’ve got (multiple) of acts due to be going there from next month right through the summer — rock acts, alternative acts, a lot of electronic artists as well. As it stands, I can’t see any of those shows being able to happen.”

    “Ukraine is an obviously an active war zone so it’s impossible to do a concert there, and with Russia, first, every government is advising its citizens not to go there unless it’s essential business — rock and roll probably wouldn’t be considered that — but more, a lot of artists wouldn’t want to be seen as supporting the actions of that government at the moment.

    “This is not normal,” he adds.

    “It’s a Western-ish, modern country, and I’m getting emails back from people there saying they were woken up at 5 a.m. yesterday by missiles hitting buildings close to them — that’s not a normal conversation we have with our promoters anywhere.”

    “I asked how a friend there was doing and he’s bunkered in a metro station, it’s insane. People’s lives changed in 24 hours.”

    While very few Western acts performed in what was then the Eastern Bloc until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, the territory has become a lucrative one: UK rock act Bring Me the Horizon has 10 dates in Russia and even one in Ukraine still on its tour schedule, and Meall says that Canadian act Three Days Grace did a 19-date tour in the country a few years back.

    “It’s lucrative for artists,” he says.

    “Over the last 15 years or so, a huge burgeoning middle class has grown there that wants to spend its money on entertainment, and there’s very, very low taxation rates on artists fees, sometimes none at all, and artists can make money at several very large festivals.”

    However, none of that looks likely for many months, if not years.

    “Our thoughts are it’s going to be a long time,” he says. “You’ve got a postwar situation to deal with, even if it is over quickly, and the second part is that it would become a moral decision to play in Russia after this.”

    However, some artists are already making their intentions clear: On Friday, Oli Sykes, lead singer of ‘Bring Me the Horizon’ — who has eleven April dates in Russia, Belarus and even Ukraine still listed on their website — posted on Instagram: “My prayers are with Ukraine, it’s a very special country that I’ve visited/worked in many times, made lots of friends & has a special place in my heart. I can’t believe this is happening. Please be safe.”