The ban was imposed because the actor took part in the filming in Crimea.
Kirill Safonov learnt upon arriving at Odessa airport for a theatre tour that he couldn’t enter Ukraine. The reason is that he participated in the filming in Crimea after the peninsula was annexed by Russia. Entering the peninsula otherwise than through Ukrainian border crossing points is a violation of Ukrainian laws.
The actor said the shooting in Crimea had begun before the region was annexed by Russia. He later returned to Crimea to finish his work. According to Kirill Safonov, he warned tour organisers about it, but they assured him it wasn’t a problem. Anyway, the actor was denied entry into Ukraine and has to wait for a return flight at Odessa airport.
The Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the country’s eastern regions were occupied by Russia in March 2014. The Kremlin faced international sanctions, economic and political relations with the pro-Russian authorities of Crimea were banned. Ukrainian laws forbid entering Crimea otherwise than from territory of Ukraine through Ukrainian border crossing points. The entry ban was earlier imposed on Russian singer Iosif Kobzon and actor Mikhail Porechenkov, who were actively used by the Kremlin for propaganda of the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia.
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