Police raid Odessa nightclub after Russian song played

Police in the port city of Odessa raided a nightclub after reports that a Russian-language song was played during a weekend event.

Local media identified the venue as the Palladium nightclub, where a DJ performed the Belarusian rap track Glamour to a large crowd, prompting an investigation by authorities.

The incident comes as part of Ukraine’s ongoing effort to limit the use of Russian in public life since 2014, including bans on Russian-language media, concerts, and publications, as well as the removal of monuments linked to Russian cultural figures. Russian officials have criticised these policies, claiming they suppress the linguistic rights of Ukraine’s Russian-speaking population.