Thousands of people have been detained at protests in dozens of cities across Russia against President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, the Russian Interior Ministry and an independent protest monitor said on Sunday.
The monitor OVD-Info said 3,895 people were detained during protests in 53 cities. It added that police departments may have more detainees than appear on their published lists.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said 1,700 people were detained in Moscow and 750 were detained in St. Petersburg. The people arrested in Moscow were among around 2,500 people who took part in an “unauthorized rally,” Volk said, according to TASS.
The 750 arrested in St. Petersburg were among 1,500 who took part.
In other regions 1,200 people took part in rallies, and as many as 1,061 people were detained, she said.
Thousands of protesters chanted “No to war!” and “Shame on you!” in Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to videos posted on social media by opposition activists.
Demonstrations also took place outside Russia, including in India and Kazakhstan after jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny called for worldwide protests against the war.
