Russia-Ukraine war: Last News

Glastonbury Festival will play host to a number of Ukrainian acts this year amid the Russian invasion of their country.Kyiv folk quartet DakhaBrakha will perform on Sunday afternoon on the Pyramid stage.The group, who combine the musical styles of several local ethnic groups, have described themselves as ‘ambassadors of free Ukraine’ and have long used their performances to voice their opposition to war and the policies of Vladimir Putin.They have been donating money raised by their recent performances to the war effort.Meanwhile, Go_A will open the John Peel stage on Saturday with a performance of electronic folk music and soaring vocal melodies.The group, who formed in 2012, represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 with the anthemic dance track Shum, placing fifth.Band member Ihor Didenchuk is also a member of Kalush Orchestra, who triumphed during the contest this year after a symbolic show of public support saw them climb to first place with 631 points.Glastonbury will also host Jamala, who won Eurovision for Ukraine in 2016 with her song 1944, about the forced deportation in Crimea during the rule of Joseph Stalin.The singer was forced to flee her country following the invasion and played during a fundraising concert for Ukraine in March in Birmingham that also featured stars such as Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello and Emeli Sande.She will be playing a late-night set starting at 2am on Saturday night at the Toad Hall stage.Announcing the news in June, she wrote on Instagram: ‘I will be closing the Toad Hall stage of the legendary British festival on June 25.

Morgan Freeman is among 963 Americans who have been ‘permanently banned’ from entering Russia.The Shawshank Redemption actor, 84, joins a bumper list of celebrities who are forbidden to set foot in the country, including Mark Zuckerberg and the former first lady Hilary Clinton.The move comes in response to US sanctions imposed on the country for its invasion of Ukraine.Freeman was reportedly added to the list after appearing in a video clip in 2017 that accused the Russian government of meddling with American democracy.The Hollywood A-lister narrated the promotional video for an organisation named The Committee to Investigate Russia, according to CNN.The clip was directed by filmmaker Rob Reiner, best known for movies including The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally, and he has also been added to the Kremlin’s list.‘We emphasise that the hostile actions taken by Washington, which boomerang against the United States itself, will continue to receive a proper rebuff,’ Kremlin officials said.‘Russian counter-sanctions are forced and aimed at forcing the ruling American regime… to change its behaviour, recognising new geopolitical realities.’Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was also listed, alongside the late US senator John McCain, who died in 2018.Russia previously banned US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from entering the country.Secretary of State Antony Blinken, CIA chief William Burns, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan were also among the names.The updated list comes after reports that Vladimir Putin’s health has been deteriorating for the past five years.Independent Russian media outlet Proekt scrutinised the Russian President’s absences,

supports HTML5 videoAngelina Jolie was filmed being rushed to safety after an air-raid siren went off during her visit to war-torn Ukraine. The Tomb Raider actress flew into the city of Lviv this weekend to meet with people who have been displaced ever since Russian forces launched their attack on the country in February. During her visit to the refuge on Saturday, an air-raid siren was signalled at the station amid fears of an attack and Jolie, 46, was seen being whisked away by her aides and quickly bundled into a waiting car, presumably headed to a bunker. While being filmed during the incident, Jolie remained calm and waved at the camera before insisting: ‘I’m okay.’ The actress is a special envoy for the United Nations refugee agency, and met volunteers working with the displaced, who shared the realities of their ordeal with the actress.According to Reuters, they revealed that each of the psychiatrists on duty spoke to about 15 people a day, and that many of those in the station are children aged between two and 10. Lviv’s regional governor Maksym Kozytsky said Jolie spoke to children undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station in April.In a social media post, Kozytsky wrote: ‘She was very moved by (the children´s) stories.

Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion.The former Dancing With The Stars pro is back in Eastern Europe just weeks after returning to Los Angeles after fleeing Ukraine, where he had been filming World of Dance Ukraine in Kyiv.Earlier this month, he was back in California with his wife and son Shai, five, but now he is in Poland to help with relief efforts after admitting he felt ‘survivor’s remorse’.In an Instagram Live on Sunday, he said: ‘Hi everybody. I’m fine.

Amanda Holden is reporting from the Ukraine border as she interviews people who have been affected by the conflict.The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 51, has started a podcast to offer a platform to those caught up in the war.Amanda is currently spending time at a refugee camp at Medyka in Poland, within touching distance of Ukrainian soil.The Heart FM presenter has praised the humanity and sense of community she has witnessed as generous donations have poured in.She told the Daily Star: ‘I am literally watching people trickling in from over the border.‘It’s extraordinary to witness how quickly people have got together. There’s a whole village here.’The musical theatre star described the ‘stalls and stalls of food and clothes,’ adding that she’s seen ‘things from Asda and Tesco.’‘It’s amazing where it’s all come from.

Ukraine Oksana Shvets was killed.’The Kyiv Post also confirmed the news.Shvets had also worked with the Ternopil Music and Drama Theater and the Kiev Theater of Satire.Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.Over 3million people have fled, as Ukrainian cities face shortages of food, water, heat, and medicine – with thousands of British people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees.Countries have retaliated by imposing sanctions on Russia and oligarchs such as Roman Abramovich, while large companies like Disney, Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola have suspended business in the country.However, despite these economic blows, Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn’t shown any signs of calling off the attack anytime soon.Mum got drunk and ordered £4,500 Uber to Ukraine to go and 'help'Impostor posing as Ukrainian PM manages to speak with Defence SecretaryArnold Schwarzenegger pleads with Vladimir Putin to stop Russia-Ukraine warMany stars have supported Ukraine, with Mila Kunis, who was born in the country, and her husband Ashton Kutcher raising $30million (£22million) for the cause.Meanwhile, Arnold Schwarzenegger pleaded with Putin in a heartfelt video.Got a story?If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Rebel Wilson has flashed her middle finger to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Bafta 2022 awards ceremony, sparking quite a stir on social media. While taking to the stage to introduce Emilia Jones’ musical performance, Rebel explained that there were two sign language interpreters on stage.

Sir Bob Geldof fronted a star-studded fundraising concert for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion, repeating his mantra of ‘what’s so funny about peace, love and understanding’ throughout the emotional evening.The Night for Ukraine was held at North London’s Roundhouse on Wednesday, March 9, with the funds raised donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal to raise money and aid for those fleeing Ukraine. The fundraiser is reminiscent of the famous Live Aid benefit concert that the Boomtown Rats singer organised in 1985 in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

Strictly Come Dancing partner Oksana Platero’s grandparents to safety.The Good Morning Britain presenter, who recently branded Vladimir Putin ‘pure evil’, explained his aim to rescue the professional dancer’s family from the war-torn country as the Russian invasion continues.Detailing his mission in a series of tweets, Rob said he would aim to get to Poland for Monday to reunite with Oksana’s grandparents.‘Oksana Platero my Ukrainian dance partner on @bbcstrictly gifted me so much,’ he said. ‘Right now her grandparents are a week into their struggle to find sanctuary in a safe country.‘I’ll be trying to meet them on the border next week.

supports HTML5 videoKim Kardashian has shared a wild behind-the-scenes video of her incredible Paris fashion week look, meaning we can finally work out how she pulled it off. The Skims business mogul, 41, took to her Instagram stories to give fans a look into how the incredible fashion statement was created after she attended the Balenciaga fashion week show in Paris in a truly eye-catching ensemble, even by her standards! If we can sum it up: it resembled a high fashion mummy.

Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse has expressed her disgust at clips of Black people being racially abused and stranded at the Ukraine border. Heartbreaking footage has circulated on social media showing African and Caribbean students being denied permission to cross over into Poland for safety, as Russia continues its deadly bombing attack amid its invasion of Ukraine. Many of the stranded students have been subjected to racism, with one man recalling how he was forced to disembark a bus after being told ‘no Blacks’. Motsi, who hails from South Africa and Germany, shared a clip of a room close to the border full of other Black students desperate to reach safety. The woman filming the video said: ‘We’re still stranded, we haven’t eaten, no rest, we were just in the cold for six hours outside. For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live‘We’ve been begging, pushing, dragging, it’s been so traumatic just to get into the border and we’re not able to get there. ‘Since morning we’ve been told that [for] all Nigerians, the embassy has been getting buses for us but we’ve not seen any… It’s really really so sad.’ This is happening !!!! Can we talk about this !!!!!! Saving people according to their skin color!!!!! #AfricansinUkraine pic.twitter.com/RsNzS9quzDMotsi captioned the post: ‘This is happening !!!! Can we talk about this !!!!!! Saving people according to their skin color!!!!! #AfricansinUkraine.’ She added: ‘Don’t forget the black brothers and sisters at the border !’ Reacting to the clip, one follower commented: ‘I’m so sorry.

continued its bombardment on its neighbour.The former Dancing With the Stars professional was in Kyiv filming World of Dance when Putin launched an invasion on the country last Thursday, but he managed to board a train and arrived in Poland on Tuesday following a gruelling journey. Speaking from a hotel room in Warsaw, the 42-year-old star – who was arrested earlier this week before being released – was tearing up as he admitted he is both confused and terrified.

Louis Tomlinson has cancelled his upcoming gig in Moscow and Kyiv, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.The former One Direction star, 30, was due to perform at the Stereo Plaza venue in the Ukrainian capital on Monday, July 4 before heading to Russia to play at Circus City Hall in Moscow on Wednesday, July 6.However, the Back To You singer is standing by Ukraine as he announced that he’s putting the show on hold ‘until further notice.’In a statement posted on social media, Tomlinson explained: ‘Due to the recent events in Ukraine, I have to sadly announce that my tour shows in Moscow and Kyiv are cancelled until further notice.For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live‘The safety of my fans is my main priority and my thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine and all those suffering from this needless war.’Tomlinson’s official website also presented a ‘sale paused’ message for both shows.pic.twitter.com/CoQVfReivQThe Just Hold On hitmaker’s tour kicked off his tour on March 9 2020 in Barcelona and will conclude on September 3 2022 in Milan.This comes after American rock band Green Day axed their scheduled performances in Russia in response to its forces entering Ukraine.‘With heavy hearts, in light of current events we feel it is necessary to cancel our upcoming show in Moscow at Spartak Stadium,’ the band said in a statement.‘We are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it’s much bigger than that. But we also know that rock and roll is forever and we feel confident there will be a time and a place for us to return in the future.

Strictly Come Dancing pro Kristina Rihanoff has been criticised for ‘insensitive’ tweets relating to Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.The dancer – who is Russian – sparked outrage amongst her followers following a series of tweets, which appeared to back President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine began on Thursday.Rihanoff’s tweets were branded ‘in such bad taste’ and an ‘absolute disgrace,’ with fans saying they were unfollowing her.One tweet included a cartoon featuring caricatures of Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau.For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine liveThe three world leaders had been drawn with blood drawn on their hands, with Trudeau in blackface and PM Johnson holding a glass of wine, in reference to his lockdown party scandals.US President Biden was pointing to the distance, with the words ‘Russian man bad’ written in a speech bubble.Donât even have to say anything – pure genius https://t.co/t61p3WBYalRihanoff tweeted alongside the illustration: ‘Don’t even have to say anything – pure genius.’The TV star later responded to an article shared by Sky News, announcing that Russia had been banned from Eurovision this year.She wrote: ‘F….ing breaking news

supports HTML5 videoMaksim Chmerkovskiy has been forced to seek refuge in a bomb shelter in Kyiv amid Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.The country has come under intense gunfire and bombing since Thursday, when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack.Overnight, airfields and gas pipelines appear to have been hit, and the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine confirmed that missiles also hit a radioactive waste disposal site near Kyiv.The Dancing With The Stars professional has now posted clips on his Instagram story from the capital city, insisting that he was staying safe.For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live‘Hey everybody, I’m in the bomb shelter, aka a parking lot,’ the 42-year-old began, panning the camera to show cars lined up behind him.‘A lot of people here that I don’t want to show. I have no idea what I’m doing and I just don’t want to do something that I shouldn’t.‘I’m safe, I’m in a bomb shelter but Kyiv is under a serious attack from what I understand, from what I heard. ‘We had a crazy alarm so we all ran downstairs.’‘As soon as I know something concrete that I check out, I’ll throw it on my feed.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds will be matching up to $1million (£745,711) in donations to the United Nations Refugee Agency as Russia’s attack on Ukraine intensifies.President Vladimir Putin declared war against Ukraine around 5am local time on Thursday, ordering troops into the neighboring country in a three-pronged invasion from the north, east, and south, appearing to target the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson.The Canadian actor, 45, and his wife took to Twitter and urged their followers to donate with a link inserted the post. Alongside it, Ryan tweeted: ‘In 48 hours, countless Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes to neighboring countries.‘They need protection.

supports HTML5 videoSean Penn is continuing work on his documentary in Ukraine, holding a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.The president shared a silent video of the pair sat down together and talking, with a caption reading: ‘The more people know about the war in Ukraine, the more chances there are to stop Russia.’The meeting comes after Sean was pictured attending a press briefing at the Presidential Office in Kyiv.The director has been filming a documentary about Russian aggression in the country and was last seen there in November 2021.For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine liveAmid the invasion, he has now returned and was pictured in the front row of the briefing among reporters, wearing sunglasses as he listened intently.The Ukrainian government has expressed its gratitude for the project.A translated statement provided to Newsweek read: ‘Sean Penn demonstrates the courage that many others, especially Western politicians lack.‘The more such people in our country now, true friends of Ukraine, who support the struggle for freedom, the sooner it will be possible to stop Russia’s treacherous attack.’Sean, 61, previously met with Ukrainian military service personnel for his new VICE documentary.The actor and producer visited positions near the front line with Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk area.It is reported that Milk actor’s documentary will explore how the Donbas region has been impacted by the battles with pro-Moscow rebels.The actor made the visit to the settlement of Priazov.In images shared by the Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation Press Service, the I Am Sam actor was seen wearing a helmet and surrounded by military protection.A fierce battle

Holly Willoughby has asked how she can explain the Ukraine crisis to her children, as she and other stars express their horror over the invasion from Russia.Overnight, Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, has endured ‘horrific rocket strikes’ from Russian forces, in an attack that has been compared to when the country was targeted by Nazi Germany in the Second World War.Thousands of refugees have fled Ukraine and entered neighbouring countries in the hope of finding safety, with it being reported that 137 people were killed on the first day of the attacks led by President Vladimir Putin.In a post shared on Instagram, This Morning presenter Willoughby uploaded a photo showing two tanks, one of which had its main gun pointed close to the camera as a group of soldiers sat on the second.For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine liveIn her caption, the 41-year-old, who has three children, questioned how she can go about explaining the Ukraine crisis to her kids, who are seven, 10 and 12 years old.‘How do I explain this to my children… I was asked questions last night I didn’t have the answers for…’ she wrote, alongside a broken heart emoji.Hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and mentor Tania Taylor emphasised the importance of ‘active listening’ when speaking to children about the Ukraine crisis, making sure that adults are paying full attention to youngsters when they are asking questions.‘Listen to what they’re asking, and don’t give more information than they are asking for.

Russia can compete in the upcoming song contest, to be held in May, other countries have called for its exclusion amid the invasion of Ukraine.Yesterday event bosses described the competition as a ‘non-political cultural event’ while appearing to dismiss suggestions that Russia’s attack on its neighbour would result in the country being banned.Now, after Ukrainian state broadcaster UA:PBC called on the European Broadcasting Union, which produces the event, to suspend Russia’s membership and ban it from the contest, other countries have echoed the same sentiments.In a statement, Norway’s NRK broadcasting director Thor Gjermund Eriksen said they didn’t envisage that Russia can participate in this year’s contest. For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine liveHe said: ‘NRK has given clear advice to the EBU that Russia can not participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, this is a member organisation that needs some time to anchor a decision.