Iconic Russian singer asks to be named ‘foreign agent’

Iconic Russian singer Alla Pugacheva, hugely popular since Soviet times, says she wants to be placed on Russia’s foreign agents list in solidarity with her husband who has been designated as one. The statement by Pugacheva on Instagram on Sunday is a notable slap from a prominent figure at Russian authorities, who have stifled dissent in recent years. Pugacheva’s husband, singer and TV presenter Maxim Galkin, has criticized Russia’s sending troops into Ukraine. He was added to the foreign agents register on Saturday by the justice ministry for allegedly conducting political activities on behalf of Ukraine and receiving Ukrainian funding. The term carries a strong pejorative sense and implies additional government scrutiny.