Soviet pop icon condemns Russia’s actions in Ukraine

Alla Pugacheva spoke out against the military operation after her husband was labeled a “foreign agent”.

73-year-old Soviet pop idol Alla Pugacheva has lashed out at Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine. The singer is a major celebrity in Russia and has a fanbase throughout the former USSR.

Pugacheva, commonly referred to simply as ‘The Primadonna’, has demanded to be designated a “foreign agent” after her husband, 46-year-old comedian Maksim Galkin, received the label from Russia’s Justice Ministry on Friday.

“I ask you to enroll me in the ranks of foreign agents of my beloved country, because I stand by my husband, an honest, decent and sincere person, a real and incorruptible patriot of Russia,” Pugacheva said in a social media post, addressed to the Justice Ministry.

It was not immediately clear whether she had also communicated her request through official channels.

The pop star also implicitly criticized the military operation in Ukraine, saying that her husband wants for Russia “prosperity, peaceful life, freedom of speech and an end to the deaths of our guys in pursuit of illusory goals, that make our country a pariah and aggravate the lives of our citizens.”

The statement came the day after Galkin was branded a “foreign agent.” According to officials, the comedian has been “engaging in political activities,” while being financed by Ukraine.

Galkin and Pugacheva fled Russia to Israel with their children when the conflict in Ukraine began in late February. They later relocated to Latvia.

Pugacheva, until now, had remained silent on the reason for their departure and her stance on the conflict. Galkin, however, took an open anti-Kremlin position, repeatedly criticizing the Russian government. ‘The Primadonna’ returned to Moscow in late August, while Galkin remains abroad.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian president Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”

In February 2022, the Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states and demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.