Rachel Riley backs her Russian husband Pasha Kovalev as he breaks his silence on Ukraine
RACHEL RILEY supported her Strictly dancer husband Pasha Kovalev after he broke his silence on the Ukraine war.
The dad-of-two, from Russia, spoke out about the conflict on Instagram and his Countdown star wife shared his post.
Pasha, who joined Strictly in 2011, asked his fans to “come together” and admitted the crisis was "too close to home".
He said: “The current situation in Ukraine hits too close to home for the both of us as Russian nationals.
"Our passport may say one thing but out hearts are with our family, friends and everyone still in Ukraine that are fighting for their freedom and lives."
He added: "We will need your support now more than ever. Let’s come together and make a difference through Art!”
The post was written by Pasha and Anya Garnis, who together are performing in the upcoming show Rise Up With the Arts.
It continues: “It only feels right that our show, Rise Up With the Arts, along with 3 charities that we are 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.”
Rachel shared the post on Twitter with a red heart emoji.
Her tweet attracted dozens of comments, with one of her followers writing: "I think most people realise the Russian people don't want this conflict any more than Ukraine or anyone else."
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However, one more person said: "Rather a bit of dreaming and naivety there as art will never win against despots like Putin."