This was announced on May 3 on his Telegram channel by activist Serhiy Sternenko with reference to the State Border Guard Service, Basta's entourage and the staff of the Mocco restaurant, where he stopped to eat.

"Just now in Kyiv on Khreshchatyk in the restaurant Mokko sits a Russian citizen Vasily Vakulenko, aka Basta", - wrote Sternenko.

Basta's three-year ban on entry into Ukraine due to repeated concerts in occupied Crimea has expired. However, according to the activist, there is another good reason for a new ban on Vasyl Vakulenko's entry into Ukraine.

Source: YouTube / STERNENKO

"Basta chose the best song about the Crimean bridge, illegally built by the occupiers. Lyrics of the song: "such a coveted Crimean bridge connected the two shores of Russia". Participation in an event glorifying the occupation of Crimea is a direct reason not to allow him into Ukraine as a threat to national security. This is not my position. This is by the law. And the SBU knew about it", - Sternenko said.

He added that the fact that the Russian singer was allowed to enter Ukraine was "an unequivocal provocation and humiliation for Ukrainians".

What is known

• In 2018, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy included him in the list of foreign cultural figures who pose a threat to Ukraine's national security. As of May 2021, Vakulenko is no longer on this list.
• In 2021, Basta plans to give concerts in Kyiv, which are scheduled for June 25-26 at StereoPlaza. But, there is no information about this on the rapper's website.
• On March 18, Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksiy Honcharenko from the European Solidarity party asked for a ban on the Russian artist's entry.