Alina Pash said she missed the opportunity to sing for Ukraine at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The 28-year-old won a TV show to represent her country at the event, but she withdrew from the events “with a heavy heart.”

Ukrainian national broadcaster UA: PBC said it had decided to “put an end to her involvement”.

She reviewed a trip she made in 2015 to Crimea, a region occupied by Russia in 2014.

Alina said she was attacked by several people online, calling her non-Ukrainian due to her visit.

In an Instagram post, she wrote: “I am a Ukrainian citizen. I respect Ukrainian law and strive to spread Ukrainian traditions and values ​​around the world.

“What was in this story was not at all what I wanted to convey with my song.”

The series comes below about her visit to Crimea and the world to see if Russia invades Ukraine.

Who is Alina Pash?

Born in a small village in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, Alina became famous for her country version of her from The X Factor.

She says she waited “eight years” to represent her country at Eurovision – the largest music competition in the world – and she won Vidbir, the national selection show.

Her song Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors mixes genres to “show the world that Ukrainian culture is beautiful”.

Despite a possible invasion of Russia, Alina Pash, Eurovision, and their rivals were a significant part of the social media discussion in Ukraine on Saturday night.

Why is Alina’s trip to the Crimea controversial in 2015?

Visits to Crimea are disruptive and there are strict rules on how people travel to the region.

Ukrainians and foreigners are only allowed access through official checkpoints. Under Ukrainian law, it is illegal to travel to Crimea via Russia.

Alina presented evidence to the authorities that she entered the territory, but this was investigated.

In a statement to Newsbeat, the Ukrainian public broadcaster said: “The artist’s representative shrugged off a certificate presented to UA: PBC. The artist accepted the decision of the organizing committee.

Alina did not elaborate on a visit to Crimea in her post on her Instagram, but she said some people took “totally unacceptable notes”.

“I don’t want virtual warfare and hatred,” she wrote. “The most important war right now is the external war that came to my country in 2014”.