Italy theatre cancels ballet dancer's show. He had 3 tattoos of Vladimir Putin

Sergei Polunin: Sergei Polunin's January 28-29 show at Milan's Arcimboldi theatre was cancelled.

An Italian theatre called off a show by a prominent Russian dancer who has three tattoos of president Vladimir Putin on his chest and shoulders. The move came following online protests over the artist's scheduled appearance.

Sergei Polunin: Ballet dancer Sergei Polunin is seen. (Reuters)

Sergei Polunin's January 28-29 show at Milan's Arcimboldi theatre was cancelled "due to the pressing campaign (against it) on the internet and social media", the theatre said on its website, Reuters reported adding that Sergei Polunin was due to star in the "Rasputin - Dance Drama" ballet, originally scheduled for 2019. But the show was repeatedly postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

Explaining the cancellation, the theatre said that it was an act of "political and moral responsibility", given "a climate of tensions and threats" adding that it had taken the decision in agreement with the artist's company.

The theatre also said it was firmly against the war in Ukraine, saying that it had staged shows by the Russian dissidents' group Pussy Riot and Ukrainian artists.

Sergei Polunin, former principal at the Royal Ballet in London, was born in Ukraine, but acquired Russian citizenship in 2018. In September, while in Uzbekistan, he performed a dance in military uniform for fallen Russian soldiers. Uzbek authorities, who had then said that he had deviated from the agreed programme.

Earlier, Ukraine said that it repelled a night-time drone attack from Russia, just a day after Moscow launched a new wave of missile strikes. Ukraine's air force said that Russia's overnight assault was made with "Iranian-made kamikaze drones". A total of 16 drones were launched from the southeastern and northern directions and they were "all" destroyed, Ukraine's air defence said.