A Moscow singer who told her followers she loves both Russia and Ukraine has been deported by Kiev security services.
Blogger Alina Maslova, 23, detained at the Ukranian ski resort Dragobrat after her New Year’s Eve Instagram post to her 185,000 followers.
Masolova said she felt for both sides in the increasingly bloody conflict between Kiev and the Kremlin.
Her post said: “I am one-third Ukrainian, one-third Russian and one-third Moldovan. I studied Ukrainian, Moldovan and Russian.
“I love both Ukraine and Russia. But I am from Moldova, I have many friends in both countries.
“And because of the risk of seeming politically to be supporting any one side, I don’t want to share this love, but I sincerely feel sorry for the victims.
“I helped the refugees at the beginning of this whole story, but I never took anyone’s side. I am a person of the world.”
But her apparent support for invaders Russia infuriated the Ukrainian secret service which tracked her down and detained her.
In a video of an interview, apparently with Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officers, Maslova sobs uncontrollably as she tries unsuccessfully to plead her case.
As she wipes away tears with her Moldovan passport on the table in front of her she says she never supported the invasion and apologised to Ukrainians for causing offence.
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But SUB officials were unimpressed and, reports local media, wanted to use the high-profile blogger as an example to others in the public eye to think before speaking out.
In a later video, Maslova claimed she does not understand politics and admitted: “To be honest, I don’t watch the news at all.”
She said that at the beginning of the invasion she “spoke out for Ukraine” in her blog, but later stopped because of a backlash of hate messages.
But now her apology could snuff out her music career in Moscow when Kremlin officials read the full text of what she said blaming President Vladimir Putin for the war.
Maslova revealed: “I understand what is happening in Ukraine. I know that Russia started it. I do not support all this.”
