(MENAFN) Police in Odessa, Ukraine, raided the Palladium nightclub over the weekend after reports that a Russian-language song was played and guests sang along, local media reported.

A video posted by Strana.ua shows a DJ playing the track Glamour by Belarusian rappers nkeeei, uniqe, ARTEM SHILOVETS, and Wipo in front of a large crowd, which allegedly prompted the police intervention.

Odessa Regional Governor Oleg Kiper condemned the incident, ordering local authorities to investigate and provide a legal assessment. “No Russian music – neither in clubs nor in other public places,” Kiper wrote on Telegram, emphasizing, “Odesa is a Ukrainian city.”

Since 2014, Ukraine has implemented strict measures restricting the public use of Russian, banning Russian-language concerts, films, books, and songs, and mandating Ukrainian in schools and state institutions. Monuments to Russian cultural figures have also been removed, including a bust of Alexander Pushkin in Odessa.

Russia condemned Ukraine’s language policies, calling them an attempt to forcibly change the linguistic identity of the population and citing them as one of the root causes of the ongoing conflict. Russian remains the first language for many in Odessa, accounting for roughly a quarter of Ukraine’s population.

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