Leading Russian Cinematographers Speak Out Against War in Ukraine (EXCLUSIVE)

Boris Johnson was accused of being a “threat to national security” following reports he was at a Tory party fundraising event on the night Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin appeared to disappear mid-sentence while delivering a speech at a pro-war rally.

The diet of the invading Russian army has been revealed after Ukrainian troops seized a fully-stocked battlefield kitchen.

Editors note: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had tragic consequences for the Ukrainian people, and the wider ramifications of the conflict are only beginning to be understood. As the West imposes economic sanctions on Russia, the country is facing a period of isolation unseen since the Cold War. Deadline invited one high-profile Russian producer to pen a column discussing their perspective on the situation. At their request they are being kept anonymous for fear of reprisal from Putin’s government as it cracks down on free speech.

Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers have allegedly been told to condemn Russia and Vladimir Putin, or 'never come back' to the BBC show.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentIran’s government may support Russia’s of Ukraine, but the bulk of the country’s film community is outraged by the war — and some more openly than others.Prominent Iranian actor Hamid Farokhnezhad, best known internationally for starring in Asghar Farhadi’s “Fireworks,” has posted a video widely circulated on social media in which he denounces “the brutal attack of Russia against Ukraine.”Farokhnezhad (pictured above), in protest against the Russian invasion, expressed his wish in the video to return the best actor statuette he received from the Moscow Film Festival in 2005 for his role in anti-war drama “Big Drum Under Left Foot,” directed by Kazem Ma’asoumi.As Iranian multi-hyphenate Babak Karimi, speaking from Tehran, puts it, “Iran has experienced eight years of war with Iraq, which had similarities to the war in Ukraine.” “The memory of war is very much alive here,” he notes. “So it’s obvious that everyone is saying: ‘Here we go [again], this is going to last for years.'” Karimi, who is an actor, film editor and academic, won the Berlin Silver Bear in 2011 for playing the judge in Oscar-winning “A Separation,” and is a regular in Farhadi’s films.“There are some film personalities that are close to the government who support the war as a political stance, while from a human standpoint they are against it,” says Karimi.However, the vast majority of those in film circles “are fully against the war,” as is the case for Iran’s population at large.

EXCLUSIVE: Timur Bekmambetov, the high-profile Russian-Kazakh director who is credited as the creator of the Screenlife genre with projects including Searching and Unfriended, has condemned the “tragedy” in Ukraine and is working on a project analyzing the digital aspects of the conflict.

Russian performers have begun canceling concerts in their home country and joining a larger "no to war" campaign condemning the Russia's invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine on Feb. 24 after recognizing the independence of two separatist regions in the country.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSpotify has suspended premium service in Russia after the country launched its war on Ukraine — a move that the audio streaming powerhouse expects to result in a loss of about 1.5 million paying customers in the first quarter of 2022.That’s according to Spotify CFO Paul Vogel, who spoke at Morgan Stanley’s 2022 Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on Wednesday. According to a Spotify spokesperson, the loss of its business in Russia is not material: The country represents less than 1% of total revenue.Vogel also alluded to the recent controversy over podcaster Joe Rogan, which has spurred calls to boycott the streamer (but Vogel didn’t identify Rogan by name).Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Vogel, Spotify was trending ahead of its Q1 guidance of adding a net 8 million total users, including 3 million paying customers.

Strictly Come Dancing star Pasha Kovalev has broken his silence over Russia's invasion in Ukraine, which has saddened the world. The Russian-born dancer - who is married to Rachel Riley - confessed the heartbreaking conflict was "too close to home" in an emotional post.MORE: Motsi Mabuse issues heartbreaking plea over 'racism' experienced amid Ukraine crisisIn an announcement, posted on Instagram on Wednesday, he wrote: "The current situation in Ukraine hits too close to home for the both of us as Russian nationals.WATCH: Rachel Riley melts hearts with adorable video of Pasha with their daughters"Our passport may say one thing but our hearts are with our family, friends and everyone still in Ukraine that are fighting for freedom and lives."MORE: Dan Walker forced to apologise after 'difficult' BBC Breakfast coverageDONATE NOW: What can you do to help Ukraine?Pasha, who has co-created Rise Up With the Arts with Anya Garni, explained how the proceeds from their performances will go to Save The Children charity."It only feels right that our show - Rise Up With the Arts, along with 3 charities that we are already supporting, will now focus on donating funds raised to the Save The Children charity that helps children and young people affected by this terrible conflict," the message continued."They say it takes a village to rise a child but this time it will take the whole world to make the change happen and end this madness.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is back on U.S. soil.

Russian-born model Irina Shayk shared her support for Ukraine on Monday via Instagram. Shayk, 36, shared a photo of a black and white peace sign on her personal Instagram account as Russia continues to invade Ukraine. "No To War," she wrote, adding prayer and broken heart emojis.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorSnap, the parent company of Snapchat, is the latest internet company to weigh in on the Russian attack on Ukraine. The social messaging and media company said it has stopped running all advertising in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and is halting ad sales to all Russian and Belarusian entities as part of “complying with all sanctions targeting Russian businesses and individuals.”The company said it continues to offer the Snapchat application in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia “as it remains an important communications tool for family and friends.”The company noted that Ukraine is the birthplace of Looksery, the company whose technology laid the foundation for Snap’s augmented reality platform, “and has been the home of more than 300 of Snap’s most creative and talented team members.” Snap has pledged more than $15 million in humanitarian aid to support organizations providing direct relief to the people of Ukraine.