Russian ballet dancer censured for pro-war performance in Uzbekistan

FILE PHOTO: Russian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin rehearses at the Royal Opera House for the Project Polunin show in London, Britain, March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall/File Photo

ALMATY (Reuters) - A prominent Russian ballet dancer complained on Wednesday that he was censured for performing a song dedicated to fallen Russian soldiers while on tour in Uzbekistan, while Uzbek authorities said he had deviated from an agreed programme.

The incident highlighted the concern among Moscow's Central Asian partners about its military campaign in Ukraine, a fellow former Soviet republic.