Ukraine will be part of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, it's been confirmed.
While the country continues to defend itself against Russian attacks, it's been confirmed that they won't miss the famous competition.
But act KALUSH Orchestra won't be attending the ceremony in Italy and will be pre-recording their song to send in.
The rap group KALUSH Orchestra announced that "Despite the fighting, the KALUSH Orchestra will record their performance in a safe place, which will be sent to the organizers of the song contest, and in case of our victory over the occupiers by May, our delegation will go to Italy and sing live all over Europe!"
The announcement was made on social media by the group, after the previous representative for Ukraine, Alina Pash, withdrew her candidacy after a backlash over an allegedly forged border document linked to her crossing the Crimean border.
Crimea is de jure part of Ukraine but is currently controlled by Russia after it annexed the region in 2014, in what UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has now labelled a huge failing after Western countries allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to "get away" with it.
The Eurovision revelation also comes two weeks after Russia was unceremoniously kicked out of the contest over its violent and illegal invasion of its neighbour.
Numerous other cultural and sporting organisations, not to mention governments, are sanctioning the Putin regime, with an ever-growing list of companies from around the world also pulling out of what is fast becoming labelled a police state.
The Eurovisionworld.com website is currently giving Ukraine a 35 percent chance of winning ahead of the previous favourites Italy (16 percent).
This year, the UK will be represented by TikTok star Sam Ryder.
The social media star, 31, who has 12 million followers, says he isn't letting last year's disastrous "nil points" get to him.
Sam, of Essex, said: "I don’t want to let the stigma or fear of coming at a certain place in a table stop me from doing something and being a part of something I enjoy so much."
But he certainly has a big challenge on his hands as the UK has come last five times in the past two decades, including last year with James Newman.
