Pavel Dmitrichenko - Bolshoi Ballet Dancer Arrested Over Acid Attack

Sergei Filin, former principal dancer of Russia's Bolshoi Theatre, was hospitalised in January (13) to treat severe burns after a corrosive substance was thrown in his face by an unidentified assailant as he travelled home in Moscow.

Police in Russia have now arrested three people, including famed dancer Dmitrichenko, who has starred in the Bolshoi's productions of Swan Lake and Ivan The Terrible.

Officials claim Dmitrichenko has confessed to planning the attack, while Yury Zarutsky is suspected of throwing the acid and Andrei Lipatov is alleged to have acted as a driver.

A police statement, obtained by Reuters, reads, "At this time, all three have confessed to guilt in writing and have been detained."

The trio is expected to be officially charged later this week (beg04Mar13).

Bolshoi spokeswoman Katerina Novikova hopes the case will close a dark chapter in the theatre company's history: "It's important for the future so that nobody acts like this, because they will know that they're going to be punished. It's important for the theatre, and it's important for the whole country."

The Bolshoi's current principal dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze has also expressed his shock following his colleague's arrest, adding, "I am really sorry for everyone... (Dmitrichenko is) an explosive person - he might throw a punch, for instance. But I don't think he is capable of this."