The main conductor of the musical and drama theater was killed in Kherson

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine confirmed the death of the chief conductor of the Kherson musical and drama theater Yuri Kerpatenko. The department claims that he was shot by the Russian military.

As the local media previously reported, Kerpatenko categorically refused to take part in the concert on October 1, which was organized by representatives of the occupation administration in honor of the International Day of Music.

Journalist Elena Vanina wrote on Facebook that in response the military threatened Kerpatenko: "We will come to you again." The musician’s colleagues reported that he stopped in touch in September.

Since 2000, Kerpatenko worked in the Kherson Regional Philharmonic, in 2004 he became the chief conductor of the Kherson Music and Drama Theater named after Nikolai Kulisha. Kerpatenko openly expressed his civil position and refused to leave the occupied Kherson.

• Kherson was captured by the Russian military at the beginning of the war and has been in the occupation for more than seven months. In early July, it was reported that the Russian military stole 457 people in the region . Among them were officials, mayors and priests.
• On September 30, the Kremlin signed an agreement on the entry of four occupied Ukrainian territories into Russia. This decision is not recognized by a single country in the world.