A Russian singer who condemned the war in Ukraine is back home. The Orthodox Church wants an apology

By The Associated Press

The Russian Orthodox Church has called for an apology from Russia’s most renowned pop singer who returned home this week over her criticism of the war in Ukraine. The 74-year-old Alla Pugacheva has been hugely popular in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union for decades. She left Russia for Israel along with her husband several weeks after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. She sparked widespread attention in September 2022 by saying that Russian soldiers were dying for “illusory goals” and that Russia had become “a pariah.”