3 hours ago
4
Tenor Vladislav Gorai, a soloist with the Odesa National Opera, has died while participating in a volunteer mission in the Sumy region, according to opera officials.
The Sumy region, which borders Russia, has experienced increased conflict recently, with Russia advancing further into the area last week. This escalation has included intense frontline battles and continuous missile and drone attacks, posing a threat to the regional capital.
The Odesa National Opera shared the news on Facebook statement, with a statement which reads: "The whole world knew the voice of Vladislav Vikentiiovych, but his heart belonged to Ukraine.
“Even in the darkest times, he did not stay aside - he helped, volunteered, supported." The opera added: "The Odesa National Opera has been orphaned."
It was not immediately clear how Gorai died. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Gorai was designated in 2013 as an Honoured Artist of Ukraine thanks to his contributions to music.
On its website, the opera says Gorai has worked with the Odesa theatre since 1993, after graduating in 1988 from the music faculty of the Vinnytsia State Pedagogical Institute.
He participated in international opera projects in cities such as Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Lyon, Strasbourg and Zurich.
Among the international music houses with which he worked were Madrid's Teatro Monumental and Romania's State Opera and Ballet Theater. He toured Britain, Canada, Italy and the United States, among other countries.
The conflict comes as Russian forces continue to advance on the battlefield and have reportedly taken more than 190sqkm (73sqm) of the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine in less than a month, according to pro-Ukrainian open-source maps.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s drone attack temporarily halted production at an electronics company in Russia's Volga river region of Chuvashia after two drones fell on the plant's territory, the head of the region said.
Earlier, Donald Trump’s administration redirected at least 20,000 anti-drone missiles originally designated for Ukraine to American forces in the Middle East, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine was hoping to receive the missiles from the US to help counter relentless Russian drone attacks, which include swarms of Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones, Mr Zelensky said.
