
After thousands of Russians took to the streets to protest against the invasion of Ukraine, authorities sought Friday to push back against the spreading antiwar sentiment and project an image of strength and righteousness.
According to the OVD-Info rights group that tracks political arrests, a total of 1,820 demonstrators were detained in 58 Russian cities on Thursday night, including 1,002 in Moscow, where the biggest protest took place, drawing several thousand people to the streets in the city center.