Russian prosecutors have asked the justice ministry to consider designating Alla Pugacheva, the queen of Soviet pop music, as a "foreign agent," Russian state media reported.
If successful, the move would officially designate Russia's most famous star as an enemy of the Kremlin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had not heard any official statements on the matter. Pugacheva, who was believed to be in Cyprus, also did not comment on the matter.
Pugacheva, known for generations with hits such as the 1982 song Million Scarlet Roses and the 1978 film The Woman Who Sings, expressed disgust at the war in Ukraine.
In 2022, she said the war was killing soldiers for illusory purposes, burdening Russian citizens and turning Russia into a pariah.
Earlier this month, the 74-year-old woman said that no normal person would return to Russia. She is currently abroad.
Vitaly Borodin, an activist who heads an anti-corruption group and regularly appears on state television, filed a formal request to recognize Pugacheva as a "foreign agent."
"Moscow's Tina Turner"
Officially designating Pugacheva as a "foreign agent" would underscore the rift between the Kremlin and many, but not all, of the cultural icons of Soviet and post-Soviet Russia over Ukraine.
Such a step would certainly require approval from the Kremlin.
The New York Times in 2000 described her as "the goddess of Russian pop, Moscow's Tina Turner with a touch of Edith Piaf, whose songs gave voice to the yearnings of millions."
Shot, a Russian media outlet with close ties to the security services, said an official announcement could be made on her 75th birthday on April 15. /BGNES
