Russia Tours Fake Ukrainian Ballet in Sweden and Finland, Funneling Funds to Moscow

A ballet troupe claiming to represent Ukraine has been touring Sweden and Finland under false pretenses, deceiving audiences and allegedly funneling money to Russia, the Swedish media outlet SVT reported on March 26.

An investigation by Swedish and Finnish media uncovered that the company behind the so-called “Ballet of Ukraine” is registered in Moscow, with proceeds from performances ending up in accounts linked to a Russian millionaire.

The company, Touring Actors, presented itself as a Ukrainian organization, using a Kyiv address that turned out to be fake.

However, records show it operates on a Russian server and is owned by a Moscow-based entity. Out of 14 dancers listed on its website, at least seven are actively working in Russia.

Swedish authorities have already intervened in a similar case. In December, another “Ukrainian” ballet group, Heritage Ballet, was banned from performing in Sweden after security officials determined it had ties to the Russian state.

Ukraine’s National Opera back in 2022 issued repeated warnings about so-called “clone troupes” fraudulently using Ukraine’s name to stage performances abroad.

“They make money off our misery,” said Lana Roxy, press officer at the National Opera in Kyiv to SVT. “These groups exploit Ukraine’s reputation while helping Russia spread disinformation and profit from the war.”

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The “Ballet of Ukraine” performed in at least eight Swedish cities in December 2023, including Lund, Lerum, and Östersund, staging productions such as “The Nutcracker”.

Investigators found that payments from at least six performances were transferred to a Swiss artificial intelligence company owned by a former Russian banker.

Further investigation revealed that the “Ballet of Ukraine” had strong connections to the Saint Petersburg Ballet in Russia. It also used the same press materials as the Moscow Ballet Art Theatre, a Russian company currently being liquidated.

Legal action is now being pursued in Sweden and Finland against those behind the fraudulent tours.

Earlier, reports emerged that in one of Ukraine’s occupied cities, teenagers have formed a secret book club to read and discuss Ukrainian poetry and prose that Russia is trying to erase.