Iron Maiden have announced that their upcoming summer shows in Ukraine and Russia have been cancelled due to the ongoing conflict between the neighbouring countries.

The band were set to perform at VDNG in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 29 before visiting VTB Arena in Moscow Russia on June 1 as part of their 2022 ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ world tour.

Sharing a statement on social media, Iron Maiden said “the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows” due to the “ongoing situation in Ukraine”.

“We are very sorry to announce that due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows scheduled for May 29th in Kyiv and June 1st in Moscow on the 2022 Legacy Of The Beast World Tour,” the band tweeted.

The band added that ticket-holders would we informed by the respective promoters on refunds, and concluded by stating: “Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.”

Ticket-holders for both shows will be informed by the respective promoters on refunds at the appropriate time. 

Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.

— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) March 3, 2022

Since the conflict started, the likes of Iggy Pop, Yungblud, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are among the acts who have scrapped dates due to the ongoing crisis.

It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last Thursday (February 24).

Ukraine, which has a population of 44million people, borders both Russia and the European Union. As the BBC reports, Russia has long resisted Ukraine’s move towards embracing European institutions like NATO and the EU.

Many figures from the music world have condemned Russia and shared messages of solidarity with the people of Ukraine over the past week.

Elton John said he was “heartbroken” over the “nightmare” that civilians are facing, while Miley Cyrus called for “an immediate end to this violence”. Other acts to have spoken out include Yungblud, Foals and Young Thug.

Speaking to NME last week from London, Ukrainian electro-pop duo Bloom Twins described the ongoing situation in their home country as “terrifying”.

“It has really affected us,” singer Anna Kuprienko said. “We were only there two months ago. We were hopeful that this situation with Russia wouldn’t go where it has and that it would resolve.

“I literally spoke to my dad and our manager like six hours before everything happened. I called them and no one believed this would happen, then we all woke up to this crazy news. Then everyone was in a state of shock and panic and it became impossible to leave.”

Sonia Kuprienko added that touring in Russia “doesn’t sound like a good idea” under the current circumstances. “Ukrainians should be hiding while Russians are waiting for us to entertain them? I don’t think that’s logical,” she explained.

You can donate here to the Red Cross to help those affected by the conflict.