Russia’s 2017 Eurovision entrant has been banned from entering Ukraine to take part in the contest after it emerged she had previously performed in Crimea.

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Former Russian X Factor competitor Julia Samoilova had been due to represent the country at the contest in Kiev in May with her ballad Flame Is Burning.

However Ukraine’s SBU security service has now slapped a ban on her on account of what it calls her ‘illegal’ visit to the territory, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.


According to the BBC, over 140 other Russian artists have also been blacklisted in the wake of the annexation and the subsequent fighting in the east of the country.

Julia would have been only the second Eurovision act to perform in a wheelchair (Picture: YouTube)

European Broadcasting Union reps confirmed the news to metro.co.uk, saying they were ‘deeply disappointed’ by the ruling.

The EBU statement over Julia Samoilova's Eurovision ban ‘It has been confirmed to the EBU that the Ukrainian authorities have issued a travel ban on the Russian artist chosen for the Eurovision Song Contest, Julia Samoylova, as she has been judged to have contravened Ukrainian law by entering Crimea in order to perform. We have to respect the local laws of the host country, however we are deeply disappointed in this decision as we feel it goes against both the spirit of the Contest, and the notion of inclusivity that lies at the heart of its values. We will continue a dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities with the aim of ensuring that all artists can perform at the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv in May.’

Russia’s participation in the annual event had previously been in doubt, due to it being held in Ukraine in the wake of Jamala’s win at the 2016 contest.



Despite this, they subsequently surprised everybody by unveiling their entry the day before the deadline to submit songs for the contest.

Julia, 27, suffers from spinal muscular atrophy and was a special guest performer at the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games.

Had she taken part she would have been only the second Eurovision singer to take to the stage in a wheelchair, following Poland’s Monika Kuczynska in 2015.

Ukraine’s Jamala nabbed top honours at the contest in Stockholm in 2016 (Picture: Getty Images)

Russia’s track record in the contest has been an impressive one, winning in 2008 with Dima Bilan and finishing in the top five on several subsequent occasions.

They had been strongly tipped to win in 2016 with singer Sergey Lazarev, but ultimately ended the night in third place behind Australia and Ukraine.

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest grand final takes place in Kiev on Saturday May 13, with the semi-finals on May 9 and 11.

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