A child wrapped in an Israeli flag is seen at a solidarity demonstration with Ukraine in Tel Aviv’s Habima Square. Photo: Reuters/Corinna Kern

Ukrainian solidarity activists in Israel have forced the postponement of four concerts by a leading Russian singer who says she prays for the health of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an announcement on her Facebook page, Anna Zharova — CEO of the Tel Aviv-based Israeli-Ukrainian Alliance — confirmed that Russian vocalist Elena Vaenga would not be performing four concerts in Haifa, Ashdod, Beersheba and Rishon Lezion in early June.

“Thank you to all involved! Elena Vaenga’s concerts have been canceled. Your calls, letters, reposts played a very important role!” Zharova wrote.

She added that while Vaenga was still scheduled to perform in Israel later this year, “only those who bought tickets” would know the new dates for sure.

“But this is another small victory of ours over Russian propagandists,” Zharova said.

In a recent interview, Vaenga, who has performed at the Kremlin in Moscow on several occasions, confessed that she worried that “something will happen” to Putin, and that she prayed for the Russian leader’s wellbeing.

“I’m really afraid something will happen to him, it’s an animalistic fear,” Vaenga said.

Some of the ticket holders for Vaenga’s concerts angrily protested the decision to postpone them.

“We have been waiting for Vaenga’s performance for over two years,” one woman said. She accused Bravo, the company staging Vaenga’s concerts, of showing “great disrespect for the audience.”

Another correspondent invoked the BDS movement targeting Israel for an economic and cultural boycott. “BDS also started with such campaigns,” he wrote.