Russian ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov dies after falling from a building

World-renowned Russian ballet star, Vladimir Shklyarov, plunged to death from the fifth floor of a building on Saturday, The artist made headlines when he publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Mariinsky Theatre, a place in St. Petersburg where Shklyarov was one of the highest-ranked dancers, confirmed his death. "This is a huge loss for the entire Mariinsky Theatre team," it added.

The Russian ballet star died just two days before he was scheduled to undergo a complex spinal surgery. For some time, Shklyarov reportedly has been taking "serious painkillers".

Born in St. Petersburg, the dancer graduated from the prestigious Vaganova Academy of Russian Balletin 2003.

The same year, he joined the Mariinsky Theater group and since 2011, he has been a principal dancer there, which is the highest-ranking position in the group.