What started as a Facebook post during a wave of mass protests in Russia eight years ago has turned into a rights group that helps arrested demonstrators one in increasing demand as police crackdown hard on opposition rallies.

What started as a Facebook post during a wave of mass protests in Russia eight years ago has turned into a rights group that helps arrested demonstrators one in increasing demand as police crackdown hard on opposition rallies. OVD-Info, which has around 27 staff, more than 300 volunteers and a small office in Moscow, is the first port of call for those detained by police at protests. The group has a 24-hour hotline, a large team of lawyers and is seen as a reliable source for the number of overall arrests at events The group started in December 2011, when two young Muscovites were looking for their friends who had been detained at rallies against Vladimir Putin's planned return to the Kremlin after a term as prime minister. The two men, Grigory Okhotin and Daniil Beilinson, scoured police stations and wrote up a list of the detainees that they posted on Facebook. It was the first of many posts by OVD-Info, whose name derives from an abbreviation for the police station. Eight years on, the NGO says it aims to make sure no one faces the vagaries of the Russian criminal justice system alone. The group has been in the spotlight over the last month, as some 3,000 people have been detained at ongoing Moscow protests calling for fair local elections. Out of these, 13 face serious criminal charges for allegedly organising "mass disorder" and violence against police. "All the same, I can assure you that they were protesting peacefully," said 54-year-old Alla Frolova, the group's legal coordinator. Confusing procedures During and after a protest, OVD-Info is the first number to call for those detained. It notes the police stations where those arrested are heading to and sends lawyers. The NGO tries to deploy lawyers promptly, as police stations in the country are known for their confusing procedures and the risk of violence against detainees. "They do hide some things from us because the law gets broken many times," said Frolova, who nevertheless stresses that the group seeks dialogue with police. One of those to receive assistance from the NGO recently was Moscow student Alexander Finiarel, 24, who was detained at demonstrations on July 27 and August 3. OVD-Info provided him with a lawyer free of charge after his friends reported him to the group as among the detained. "OVD-Info gave us some advice on the right way to behave with the police. And they calmed us down, basically," said Finiarel. "We had a sense that they were looking out for us and helping us." The NGO, whose staff are mainly in their 20s and 30s, uses social media and a chat on the Telegram messenger service to gain information on detentions and post updates. The group is part of a "new generation of rights activists," says Frolova even if one of its major donors is a long-running Russian rights group Memorial, which documents Soviet-era persecutions as well as highlighting current abuses. Psychological help Frolova was in court on Wednesday to watch a case against Konstantin Kotov, an activist who risks five years in jail for breaking various laws around holding protests. Kotov has a free lawyer provided by OVD-Info, Maria Eismont. Eismont is a former journalist who retrained as a lawyer. The recent wave of detentions has kept her busy. "As soon as I get home before I have time to drink a glass of wine, they're calling me," she said with a smile. She goes to help detainees at police stations and later represents them in court. "This is a political battle, not a legal one... I'm not naive and I know the verdict isn't decided here (in court). But in any case, all the documents have to be here." "Afterwards there's always the chance of winning at the European Court of Human Rights." When cases have gone through courts in Russia, the NGO says it files as many appeals as possible with the European court. OVD-Info also receives a grant from the rights watchdog Council of Europe which accounted for almost 35 per cent of its budget last year. The rest comes from donations and fundraising. After the protests began this summer, OVD-Info says it received more than 100,000 euros in donations in July, a record. Leonid Drabkin, 27, who is in charge of fundraising, says that such generosity is hardly surprising. "When you're a light in the darkness, people are bound to trust you."

For Russia's detained protesters, rights group is first on the scene

Another weekend of protests in Moscow, over 40 Russian cities joined the protest. Watch this video to know more.

Over 40 Russian cities joined another weekend of protest in Moscow

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attended a biker show organized by the Night Wolves motorcycle club on the peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, amid vast protests in Moscow and several Russian cities on (August 10).

Putin joins bikers for a ride in Crimea

Nearly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tens-of-thousands-call-for-fair-elections-at-moscow-rally-242057">50,000 opposition supporters rallied </a>and dozens were arrested in Moscow on Saturday at one of the largest authorised protests since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012.

Demonstrators crowded the central Prospekt Andreya Sakharova street, where city authorities deployed a massive police presence, including officers in riot gear, after permitting for the rally to go ahead.

The White Counter, an NGO that tracks participants in rallies, counted 49,900 people, while Moscow police gave a much lower attendance figure of 20,000.

A total of 71 people were detained in Moscow and a further 80 were arrested in Russia's second-largest city of Saint Petersburg, according to OVD-Info, an NGO that monitors detentions at protests.

In recent weeks, thousands have attended street protests calling for free and fair elections after the exclusion of several opposition figures, including allies of top Putin critic Alexei Navalny, from local Moscow polls next month.

While the rally was authorised, Navalny -- who is currently in jail -- had urged supporters to walk peacefully through the city afterwards.

Navalny's associate, Boris Zolotarevsky, told protesters to proceed to Putin's administration offices. He was detained by police shortly afterwards.

- 'Citizens are hostages' -

At the rally, some protesters carried placards with slogans such as "Give us the right to vote!" and "You've lied to us enough", while others held up pictures of activists arrested at earlier demonstrations.&nbsp;

"I'm outraged by this injustice at every level. They're not letting candidates stand who have collected all the necessary signatures. They are arresting people who are protesting peacefully," said one protester, Irina Dargolts, a 60-year-old engineer.

"It feels like the country is a prisoner and its citizens are hostages... No one represents the people," said Dmitry Khobbotovsky, an activist for the Open Russia movement funded by Kremlin foe and former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Showing the movement's appeal to young Russians, one of the country's most famous rappers, Oxxxymiron, attended the rally and another popular rapper Face performed on stage.

"I'm performing here today so that my people have freedom and the right to choose," said Face, 22, known for his facial tattoos.

- Police crackdown - 
Riot police and the national guard had detained over 2,000 people at the previous two rallies, which were not authorised by city officials, and a dozen protesters face criminal charges and risk jail terms for "mass disorder".

Most opposition candidates banned from participating in the Moscow election have now been jailed for violating protest laws. &nbsp;

One of the rally speakers was the wife of opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, who is serving a 30-day sentence.

"Each of us has the right to run for office and they are very afraid of that," said Valeriya Gudkova.&nbsp;

"We have real support from the public and they just have criminals in their electoral commissions."&nbsp;

- 'Attempt to gag us' -

As he enters his third decade in power, Putin's approval ratings have dropped significantly and critics say the authorities fear any outlet calling for wider political change.

The latest demonstration came this week as authorities mounted their harshest attack yet on Navalny's team, focusing on his anti-corruption foundation which publishes investigations of officials close to Putin.

One of the foundation's lawyers, Lyubov Sobol, was detained Saturday at her campaign office by police in riot gear, she wrote on social media.&nbsp;

Riot police also raided the studio where Navalny's supporters were set to run a live broadcast of the protest, activists said.

On Thursday, investigators raided the foundation's office as part of a probe into alleged acceptance of donations of laundered money and a court froze the foundation's accounts.

"This is the most aggressive attempt yet to gag us," Navalny wrote in a blog entry he issued through lawyers while serving a 30-day sentence.

Nearly 50,000 opposition supporters rallied and dozens were arrested in Moscow on Saturday at one of the largest authorised protests since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012.

Nearly 50,000 opposition supporters rallied and dozens were arrested in Moscow on Saturday at one of the largest authorised protests since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012. Demonstrators crowded the central Prospekt Andreya Sakharova street, where city authorities deployed a massive police presence, including officers in riot gear, after permitting for the rally to go ahead. The White Counter, an NGO that tracks participants in rallies, counted 49,900 people, while Moscow police gave a much lower attendance figure of 20,000. A total of 71 people were detained in Moscow and a further 80 were arrested in Russia's second-largest city of Saint Petersburg, according to OVD-Info, an NGO that monitors detentions at protests. In recent weeks, thousands have attended street protests calling for free and fair elections after the exclusion of several opposition figures, including allies of top Putin critic Alexei Navalny, from local Moscow polls next month. While the rally was authorised, Navalny -- who is currently in jail -- had urged supporters to walk peacefully through the city afterwards. Navalny's associate, Boris Zolotarevsky, told protesters to proceed to Putin's administration offices. He was detained by police shortly afterwards. - 'Citizens are hostages' - At the rally, some protesters carried placards with slogans such as "Give us the right to vote!" and "You've lied to us enough", while others held up pictures of activists arrested at earlier demonstrations. "I'm outraged by this injustice at every level. They're not letting candidates stand who have collected all the necessary signatures. They are arresting people who are protesting peacefully," said one protester, Irina Dargolts, a 60-year-old engineer. "It feels like the country is a prisoner and its citizens are hostages... No one represents the people," said Dmitry Khobbotovsky, an activist for the Open Russia movement funded by Kremlin foe and former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Showing the movement's appeal to young Russians, one of the country's most famous rappers, Oxxxymiron, attended the rally and another popular rapper Face performed on stage. "I'm performing here today so that my people have freedom and the right to choose," said Face, 22, known for his facial tattoos. - Police crackdown - Riot police and the national guard had detained over 2,000 people at the previous two rallies, which were not authorised by city officials, and a dozen protesters face criminal charges and risk jail terms for "mass disorder". Most opposition candidates banned from participating in the Moscow election have now been jailed for violating protest laws. One of the rally speakers was the wife of opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, who is serving a 30-day sentence. "Each of us has the right to run for office and they are very afraid of that," said Valeriya Gudkova. "We have real support from the public and they just have criminals in their electoral commissions." - 'Attempt to gag us' - As he enters his third decade in power, Putin's approval ratings have dropped significantly and critics say the authorities fear any outlet calling for wider political change. The latest demonstration came this week as authorities mounted their harshest attack yet on Navalny's team, focusing on his anti-corruption foundation which publishes investigations of officials close to Putin. One of the foundation's lawyers, Lyubov Sobol, was detained Saturday at her campaign office by police in riot gear, she wrote on social media. Riot police also raided the studio where Navalny's supporters were set to run a live broadcast of the protest, activists said. On Thursday, investigators raided the foundation's office as part of a probe into alleged acceptance of donations of laundered money and a court froze the foundation's accounts. "This is the most aggressive attempt yet to gag us," Navalny wrote in a blog entry he issued through lawyers while serving a 30-day sentence.

Dozens arrested at huge opposition rally in Moscow

Almost 50,000 opposition supporters rallied in Moscow Saturday at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-opposition-plans-major-moscow-protest-after-crackdown-241936">one of the largest protests </a>since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-accuses-us-of-encouraging-people-to-protest-in-moscow-241853">Protesters</a> crowded the central Prospekt Andreya Sakharova street, where city authorities deployed a massive police presence, including officers in riot gear, after giving permission for the rally to go ahead.

The White Counter, an NGO that tracks participants in rallies, counted 49,900 people, while Moscow police gave a much lower attendance figure of 20,000.

In recent weeks, thousands have attended street protests calling for free and fair elections after the exclusion of several opposition figures, including allies of top Putin critic Alexei Navalny, from local Moscow polls next month.

On Saturday, some protesters carried placards with slogans such as "Give us the right to vote!" and "You've lied to us enough" while others held up pictures of activists arrested at earlier demonstrations.&nbsp;

"I'm outraged by this injustice at every level. They're not letting candidates stand who have collected all the necessary signatures. They are arresting people who are protesting peacefully," said one protester, Irina Dargolts, a 60-year-old engineer.

"It feels like the country is a prisoner and its citizens are hostages... No one represents the people," said Dmitry Khobbotovsky, an activist for the Open Russia movement funded by Kremlin foe and former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Showing the movement's appeal to young Russians, one of the country's most famous rappers, Oxxxymiron, attended the rally and another popular rapper Face performed on stage.

"I'm performing here today so that my people have freedom and the right to choose," said Face, 22, known for his facial tattoos.

Riot police and the national guard detained more than 2,000 at the previous two rallies, which were not authorised by city officials, and a dozen protesters face criminal charges of "mass disorder".

Most opposition candidates who have been banned from participating in the vote have also now been jailed for violating protest laws. &nbsp;

One of the rally speakers was the wife of opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, who is serving a 30-day sentence.

"Each of us has the right to run for office and they are very afraid of that," said Valeriya Gudkova.&nbsp;

"We have real support from the public and they just have criminals in their electoral commissions."&nbsp;

While Saturday's rally was authorised, Navalny, who is currently in jail, urged supporters to walk peacefully through the city afterwards, when they would risk detention for illegal protests.

One of Navalny's associates, Boris Zolotarevsky, at the end of the rally urged protesters to go to Putin's presidential administration offices in central Moscow. He was detained by police shortly afterwards.

Moscow police and the powerful Investigative Committee issued a warning ahead of the rally saying unsanctioned protests would be "immediately halted."

Eight people were detained in Moscow at Saturday's demonstration, while 51 were detained at protests in Russia's second largest city of Saint Petersburg, according to OVD-Info, an NGO that monitors protests.

- 'Attempt to gag us' -

As he enters his third decade in power, Putin's approval ratings have dropped significantly and critics say the authorities fear any outlet calling for wider political change.

The latest demonstration came this week as authorities mounted their harshest attack yet on Navalny's team, focusing on his anti-corruption foundation which publishes investigations of officials close to Putin.

One of the foundation's lawyers, Lyubov Sobol, was detained Saturday morning at her campaign office by police in riot gear, she wrote on social media.&nbsp;

Riot police also raided the studio where Navalny's supporters were set to run a live broadcast of the protest, activists said.

On Thursday, investigators raided the foundation's office as part of a probe into alleged acceptance of donations of laundered money and a court froze the foundation's accounts.

"This is the most aggressive attempt yet to gag us," Navalny wrote in a blog entry he issued through lawyers while serving a 30-day sentence. 
&nbsp;

Almost 50,000 opposition supporters rallied in Moscow Saturday at one of the largest protests since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012. Protesters crowded the central Prospekt Andreya Sakharova street, where city authorities deployed a massive police presence, including officers in riot gear, after giving permission for the rally to go ahead.

Almost 50,000 opposition supporters rallied in Moscow Saturday at one of the largest protests since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012. Protesters crowded the central Prospekt Andreya Sakharova street, where city authorities deployed a massive police presence, including officers in riot gear, after giving permission for the rally to go ahead. The White Counter, an NGO that tracks participants in rallies, counted 49,900 people, while Moscow police gave a much lower attendance figure of 20,000. In recent weeks, thousands have attended street protests calling for free and fair elections after the exclusion of several opposition figures, including allies of top Putin critic Alexei Navalny, from local Moscow polls next month. On Saturday, some protesters carried placards with slogans such as "Give us the right to vote!" and "You've lied to us enough" while others held up pictures of activists arrested at earlier demonstrations. "I'm outraged by this injustice at every level. They're not letting candidates stand who have collected all the necessary signatures. They are arresting people who are protesting peacefully," said one protester, Irina Dargolts, a 60-year-old engineer. "It feels like the country is a prisoner and its citizens are hostages... No one represents the people," said Dmitry Khobbotovsky, an activist for the Open Russia movement funded by Kremlin foe and former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Showing the movement's appeal to young Russians, one of the country's most famous rappers, Oxxxymiron, attended the rally and another popular rapper Face performed on stage. "I'm performing here today so that my people have freedom and the right to choose," said Face, 22, known for his facial tattoos. Riot police and the national guard detained more than 2,000 at the previous two rallies, which were not authorised by city officials, and a dozen protesters face criminal charges of "mass disorder". Most opposition candidates who have been banned from participating in the vote have also now been jailed for violating protest laws. One of the rally speakers was the wife of opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, who is serving a 30-day sentence. "Each of us has the right to run for office and they are very afraid of that," said Valeriya Gudkova. "We have real support from the public and they just have criminals in their electoral commissions." While Saturday's rally was authorised, Navalny, who is currently in jail, urged supporters to walk peacefully through the city afterwards, when they would risk detention for illegal protests. One of Navalny's associates, Boris Zolotarevsky, at the end of the rally urged protesters to go to Putin's presidential administration offices in central Moscow. He was detained by police shortly afterwards. Moscow police and the powerful Investigative Committee issued a warning ahead of the rally saying unsanctioned protests would be "immediately halted." Eight people were detained in Moscow at Saturday's demonstration, while 51 were detained at protests in Russia's second largest city of Saint Petersburg, according to OVD-Info, an NGO that monitors protests. - 'Attempt to gag us' - As he enters his third decade in power, Putin's approval ratings have dropped significantly and critics say the authorities fear any outlet calling for wider political change. The latest demonstration came this week as authorities mounted their harshest attack yet on Navalny's team, focusing on his anti-corruption foundation which publishes investigations of officials close to Putin. One of the foundation's lawyers, Lyubov Sobol, was detained Saturday morning at her campaign office by police in riot gear, she wrote on social media. Riot police also raided the studio where Navalny's supporters were set to run a live broadcast of the protest, activists said. On Thursday, investigators raided the foundation's office as part of a probe into alleged acceptance of donations of laundered money and a court froze the foundation's accounts. "This is the most aggressive attempt yet to gag us," Navalny wrote in a blog entry he issued through lawyers while serving a 30-day sentence.

Tens of thousands call for fair elections at Moscow rally

Russian authorities on Thursday froze a slew of bank accounts linked to jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny as part of a money-laundering investigation that his allies say is a trumped-up attempt to cripple his political movement.

The move comes ahead of a series of planned nationwide demonstrations on Saturday being organised by Navalny's allies to protest against the exclusion of opposition candidates from a Moscow election next month.

Similar protests in the Russian capital in recent weeks have led to mass arrests and prompted a wider crackdown on anti-Kremlin activists who have had their homes searched and been handed short jail terms or listed as suspects in a more serious investigation into what the authorities call mass unrest.

Russian investigators said in a statement on Thursday that they had frozen the bank accounts of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation, those of another organisation, and those of more than 100 linked individuals and legal entities.

Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman, said on Twitter that investigators had also frozen the bank accounts of Navalny's campaign headquarters across the country.

Masked police officers searched the Moscow offices of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation as well as the homes of several activists on Thursday taking away computers and documents.

Investigators said they had also summoned some of the foundation's employees for questioning.

The crackdown came after investigators opened a criminal investigation on Saturday into the alleged laundering of 1 billion roubles ($15.31 million) by Navalny's foundation.

Navalny and his allies say the foundation, which has published a slew of embarrassing investigations into government officials, is transparently financed from public donations.

Navalny is currently in jail for violating Russia's tough protest laws after calling for people to demonstrate in central Moscow over the exclusion of opposition candidates from a local election next month.

Russian authorities on Thursday froze a slew of bank accounts linked to jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny as part of a money-laundering investigation that his allies say is a trumped-up attempt to cripple his political movement.

Russian authorities on Thursday froze a slew of bank accounts linked to jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny as part of a money-laundering investigation that his allies say is a trumped-up attempt to cripple his political movement. The move comes ahead of a series of planned nationwide demonstrations on Saturday being organised by Navalny's allies to protest against the exclusion of opposition candidates from a Moscow election next month. Similar protests in the Russian capital in recent weeks have led to mass arrests and prompted a wider crackdown on anti-Kremlin activists who have had their homes searched and been handed short jail terms or listed as suspects in a more serious investigation into what the authorities call mass unrest. Russian investigators said in a statement on Thursday that they had frozen the bank accounts of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation, those of another organisation, and those of more than 100 linked individuals and legal entities. Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman, said on Twitter that investigators had also frozen the bank accounts of Navalny's campaign headquarters across the country. Masked police officers searched the Moscow offices of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation as well as the homes of several activists on Thursday taking away computers and documents. Investigators said they had also summoned some of the foundation's employees for questioning. The crackdown came after investigators opened a criminal investigation on Saturday into the alleged laundering of 1 billion roubles ($15.31 million) by Navalny's foundation. Navalny and his allies say the foundation, which has published a slew of embarrassing investigations into government officials, is transparently financed from public donations. Navalny is currently in jail for violating Russia's tough protest laws after calling for people to demonstrate in central Moscow over the exclusion of opposition candidates from a local election next month.

Russia freezes bank accounts linked to opposition politician Alexei Navalny

Two people were killed in an explosion at a military base used for missile tests in the far north of Russia on Thursday, the defense ministry said in a statement to news agencies.

"During the test of a liquid propellant jet engine, an explosion occurred and the equipment caught fire," the ministry said.

"As a result of the accident, six defense ministry employees and a developer were injured. Two specialists died of their wounds," it said, adding that radiation levels near the facility were "normal".&nbsp;

"There's no radioactive contamination," a spokeswoman for the Arkhangelsk region, where the base is situated.&nbsp;

The accident is the second to hit the Russian military in less than a week, after a fire broke out in an ammunition depot in Siberia on Monday, causing huge explosions.&nbsp;

At least one person was killed and eight injured while thousands had to evacuate from their homes following the blaze at the depot in the Krasnoyarsk region.

Two people were killed in an explosion at a military base used for missile tests in the far north of Russia on Thursday, the defense ministry said in a statement to news agencies.

Two people were killed in an explosion at a military base used for missile tests in the far north of Russia on Thursday, the defense ministry said in a statement to news agencies. "During the test of a liquid propellant jet engine, an explosion occurred and the equipment caught fire," the ministry said. "As a result of the accident, six defense ministry employees and a developer were injured. Two specialists died of their wounds," it said, adding that radiation levels near the facility were "normal". "There's no radioactive contamination," a spokeswoman for the Arkhangelsk region, where the base is situated. The accident is the second to hit the Russian military in less than a week, after a fire broke out in an ammunition depot in Siberia on Monday, causing huge explosions. At least one person was killed and eight injured while thousands had to evacuate from their homes following the blaze at the depot in the Krasnoyarsk region.

Two dead in explosion at Russian military base

The Syrian army said on Monday it was resuming military operations in a Russian-led campaign in northwest Syria that has uprooted tens of thousands and killed hundreds, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-moves-to-oversee-all-online-content-raises-concerns-over-censorship-240008">blaming Turkey for</a> not abiding by its commitments under a truce deal.

Syrian state media said on Thursday the ceasefire would depend on militants complying <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-air-strikes-in-northwest-syria-after-ceasefire-declared-observatory-240282">with a Russian-Turkish deal</a> last year aimed at creating an Idlib buffer zone.

'The agreement to a truce was conditional. This did not happen.. We resume our military operations against terrorist organisations,' said the army statement.&nbsp;

Since Damascus declared a ceasefire on Thursday night, its warplanes have not mounted air strikes, though the combatants are still shelling each other.

Damascus accuses Turkey and the rebels it supports of failing to comply with the terms of the de-escalation agreement which requires heavy weapons and jihadist insurgents to be withdrawn from a buffer zone.

Under its deals with Moscow, Ankara has forces stationed on the ground in the Idlib region at a dozen military positions.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry declined immediate comment.

The region - including Idlib province and parts of nearby Hama - was part of the last major stronghold of armed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, who has vowed to reclaim all of Syria.

Rebel factions, which had agreed to the latest ceasefire to give civilians a reprieve from the heavy bombing while reserving the right to respond to attacks, said the Syrian army had violated the ceasefire by maintaining its shelling of populated areas.

A week-long aerial attack on cities in Hama and southern Idlib province before the ceasefire led to the most civilian casualties since Russian jets joined the Syrian army on April 26 in the offensive to recapture the enclave.

The Russian-led campaign has been costly to Moscow and its Syrian ally.

They appear to have failed to secure any significant territorial gains despite weeks of relentless bombing and have suffered heavy human losses, according to Western military experts.

Rebels said they were prepared to continue another round of fierce fighting after the Syrian army`s unilateral announcement to end the ceasefire.

"Today (Syrian President) Assad's gangs announced they were resuming the battles and we tell them we are ready and our will to fight is there and God willing we will inflict heavy casualties,' Captain Naji Mustafa, spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) coalition of mainstream rebels group, told Reuters.

Rebels say Moscow has deployed special troops to make a military breakthrough with no success in one of the biggest campaigns waged by Moscow in Syria since its direct intervention in September 2015.&nbsp;

For three months, an army offensive backed by Russia has killed at least 400 civilians in northwest Syria and uprooted more than 440,000 people, the United Nations says.

Residents and rescuers say the three-month-old campaign has left dozens of villages and towns in ruins.

Russia and its Syrian army ally deny their jets indiscriminately hit civilian areas with cluster munitions and incendiary weapons, which residents in opposition areas say are meant to paralyse everyday life.

 
&nbsp;

The Syrian army said on Monday it was resuming military operations in a Russian-led campaign in northwest Syria that has uprooted tens of thousands and killed hundreds, blaming Turkey for not abiding by its commitments under a truce deal.

The Syrian army said on Monday it was resuming military operations in a Russian-led campaign in northwest Syria that has uprooted tens of thousands and killed hundreds, blaming Turkey for not abiding by its commitments under a truce deal. Syrian state media said on Thursday the ceasefire would depend on militants complying with a Russian-Turkish deal last year aimed at creating an Idlib buffer zone. 'The agreement to a truce was conditional. This did not happen.. We resume our military operations against terrorist organisations,' said the army statement. Since Damascus declared a ceasefire on Thursday night, its warplanes have not mounted air strikes, though the combatants are still shelling each other. Damascus accuses Turkey and the rebels it supports of failing to comply with the terms of the de-escalation agreement which requires heavy weapons and jihadist insurgents to be withdrawn from a buffer zone. Under its deals with Moscow, Ankara has forces stationed on the ground in the Idlib region at a dozen military positions. The Turkish Foreign Ministry declined immediate comment. The region - including Idlib province and parts of nearby Hama - was part of the last major stronghold of armed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, who has vowed to reclaim all of Syria. Rebel factions, which had agreed to the latest ceasefire to give civilians a reprieve from the heavy bombing while reserving the right to respond to attacks, said the Syrian army had violated the ceasefire by maintaining its shelling of populated areas. A week-long aerial attack on cities in Hama and southern Idlib province before the ceasefire led to the most civilian casualties since Russian jets joined the Syrian army on April 26 in the offensive to recapture the enclave. The Russian-led campaign has been costly to Moscow and its Syrian ally. They appear to have failed to secure any significant territorial gains despite weeks of relentless bombing and have suffered heavy human losses, according to Western military experts. Rebels said they were prepared to continue another round of fierce fighting after the Syrian army`s unilateral announcement to end the ceasefire. "Today (Syrian President) Assad's gangs announced they were resuming the battles and we tell them we are ready and our will to fight is there and God willing we will inflict heavy casualties,' Captain Naji Mustafa, spokesman for the Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) coalition of mainstream rebels group, told Reuters. Rebels say Moscow has deployed special troops to make a military breakthrough with no success in one of the biggest campaigns waged by Moscow in Syria since its direct intervention in September 2015. For three months, an army offensive backed by Russia has killed at least 400 civilians in northwest Syria and uprooted more than 440,000 people, the United Nations says. Residents and rescuers say the three-month-old campaign has left dozens of villages and towns in ruins. Russia and its Syrian army ally deny their jets indiscriminately hit civilian areas with cluster munitions and incendiary weapons, which residents in opposition areas say are meant to paralyse everyday life.

Syrian army resumes military operations against rebels in northwest Syria

Russian Opposition protests against Vladimir Putin's grip on power. Russian police detained 381 people in central Moscow during an unauthorized opposition protest on August 3, local news agency Fontanka reported. About 1,000 people were detained last week in Russia. Watch this video to know more.

Russia protests: Moscow erupts in demonstration again

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-detain-dozens-at-moscow-opposition-protest-240467">Russian police forcibly detained</a> over 800 people attending a protest in Moscow on Saturday to demand free elections, including <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-police-detain-prominent-opposition-activist-before-protest-240446">prominent activist Lyubov Sobol</a>, after authorities warned the demonstration was illegal.

Police removed Sobol from a taxi and bundled her into a van minutes before the start of what anti-Kremlin activists described as a peaceful walk to protest against the exclusion of their candidates from an election next month.

Soon after the start of the protest, a Reuters reporter saw several hundred people milling around at one of the designated protest points in central Moscow. Minutes later, a line of riot police began to squeeze people out of the area.

OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group, said police had detained 828 people, in some cases beating them with truncheons as they lay on the floor. Reuters reporters witnessed dozens of arrests. In one case police carried off a man as he clung upside down to his bicycle.

Police said they had detained 600 and said 1,500 had attended the protest, though footage of demonstrations which flared in different parts of Moscow suggested many more had taken part.

Saturday's protest was smaller than one a week earlier but underlined the determination of some Kremlin critics -- especially younger people -- to keep pressing to open up Russia's tightly-choreographed political system.

The focus of protesters' anger is a prohibition on a number of opposition-minded candidates, some of whom are allies of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny, from taking part in a September election for Moscow's city legislature.

That vote, though local, is seen as a dry run for a national parliamentary election in 2021.

Authorities say opposition candidates failed to collect enough genuine signatures to register. The excluded candidates say that is a lie and insist on taking part in a contest they believe they could win.

"They (the authorities) are wiping their feet on us," said Elena, a student attending Saturday's protest.

Another attendee, Yevgeny Snetkov, a 61-year-old engineer, described as brazen the way the authorities had prevented opposition candidates from running. "I had no option left but to protest," he said.

Some protesters chanted "Putin is a thief" as they marched.

International condemnation

Observers said the police presence was one of the biggest at such a protest in nearly a decade. Mobile internet access was cut in some areas and police cordoned off swathes of central Moscow to stop people gathering.

At a similar protest a week earlier, police detained more than 1,300 in one of the biggest security operations of recent years that brought wide international condemnation.

Authorities carried out a new round of detentions and home searches before Saturday's protest and opened criminal proceedings for what they term mass civil unrest, an offence which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail.

Activists say the Russian constitution allows them to freely protest. But authorities say they need to agree the timing and location of any demonstrations in advance, something that was not done ahead of Saturday's protest.

Opposition activists say the authorities have repeatedly refused to allow protests in central Moscow, leaving them with no choice but to go ahead anyway.

At least eight of Sobol's allies, including Navalny, are in jail for breaking tough protest laws. The ruling United Russia dominates the national parliament and Navalny plus his allies are starved of media air-time.

Russian investigators said on Saturday they had opened a criminal investigation into the alleged laundering of 1 billion roubles ($15.3 million) by an anti-corruption foundation which Navalny set up. Navalny and his allies say the foundation is transparently financed from public donations.

President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have not commented on the standoff with the opposition, but Moscow prosecutors on Friday warned would-be protesters that Saturday's demonstration had not been approved and its organisers could be brought to account.

At well over 60 per cent, Putin's approval rating is still high compared with many other world leaders, but is lower than it used to be due to discontent over years of falling incomes.

Last year the 66-year-old former KGB intelligence officer won a landslide re-election and a new six-year term until 2024.

Russian police forcibly detained over 800 people attending a protest in Moscow on Saturday to demand free elections, including prominent activist Lyubov Sobol, after authorities warned the demonstration was illegal.

Russian police forcibly detained over 800 people attending a protest in Moscow on Saturday to demand free elections, including prominent activist Lyubov Sobol, after authorities warned the demonstration was illegal. Police removed Sobol from a taxi and bundled her into a van minutes before the start of what anti-Kremlin activists described as a peaceful walk to protest against the exclusion of their candidates from an election next month. Soon after the start of the protest, a Reuters reporter saw several hundred people milling around at one of the designated protest points in central Moscow. Minutes later, a line of riot police began to squeeze people out of the area. OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group, said police had detained 828 people, in some cases beating them with truncheons as they lay on the floor. Reuters reporters witnessed dozens of arrests. In one case police carried off a man as he clung upside down to his bicycle. Police said they had detained 600 and said 1,500 had attended the protest, though footage of demonstrations which flared in different parts of Moscow suggested many more had taken part. Saturday's protest was smaller than one a week earlier but underlined the determination of some Kremlin critics -- especially younger people -- to keep pressing to open up Russia's tightly-choreographed political system. The focus of protesters' anger is a prohibition on a number of opposition-minded candidates, some of whom are allies of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny, from taking part in a September election for Moscow's city legislature. That vote, though local, is seen as a dry run for a national parliamentary election in 2021. Authorities say opposition candidates failed to collect enough genuine signatures to register. The excluded candidates say that is a lie and insist on taking part in a contest they believe they could win. "They (the authorities) are wiping their feet on us," said Elena, a student attending Saturday's protest. Another attendee, Yevgeny Snetkov, a 61-year-old engineer, described as brazen the way the authorities had prevented opposition candidates from running. "I had no option left but to protest," he said. Some protesters chanted "Putin is a thief" as they marched. International condemnation Observers said the police presence was one of the biggest at such a protest in nearly a decade. Mobile internet access was cut in some areas and police cordoned off swathes of central Moscow to stop people gathering. At a similar protest a week earlier, police detained more than 1,300 in one of the biggest security operations of recent years that brought wide international condemnation. Authorities carried out a new round of detentions and home searches before Saturday's protest and opened criminal proceedings for what they term mass civil unrest, an offence which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail. Activists say the Russian constitution allows them to freely protest. But authorities say they need to agree the timing and location of any demonstrations in advance, something that was not done ahead of Saturday's protest. Opposition activists say the authorities have repeatedly refused to allow protests in central Moscow, leaving them with no choice but to go ahead anyway. At least eight of Sobol's allies, including Navalny, are in jail for breaking tough protest laws. The ruling United Russia dominates the national parliament and Navalny plus his allies are starved of media air-time. Russian investigators said on Saturday they had opened a criminal investigation into the alleged laundering of 1 billion roubles ($15.3 million) by an anti-corruption foundation which Navalny set up. Navalny and his allies say the foundation is transparently financed from public donations. President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have not commented on the standoff with the opposition, but Moscow prosecutors on Friday warned would-be protesters that Saturday's demonstration had not been approved and its organisers could be brought to account. At well over 60 per cent, Putin's approval rating is still high compared with many other world leaders, but is lower than it used to be due to discontent over years of falling incomes. Last year the 66-year-old former KGB intelligence officer won a landslide re-election and a new six-year term until 2024.

Russian police detain over 800 in opposition crackdown in Moscow

A look at two weeks of mass protests and crackdown in Moscow

Russian police forcibly detained nearly 700 people attending a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-police-detain-prominent-opposition-activist-before-protest-240446">protest in Moscow</a> on Saturday to demand free elections, including prominent activist Lyubov Sobol, after authorities warned the demonstration was illegal.

Police removed Sobol from a taxi and bundled her into a van minutes before the start of what anti-Kremlin activists described as a peaceful walk to protest against the exclusion of their candidates from an election next month.

Soon after the start of the protest, a Reuters reporter saw several hundred people milling around at one of the designated protest points in central Moscow. Minutes later, a line of riot police began to squeeze people out of the area.

OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group, said police had detained 685 people, in some cases beating them with truncheons as they lay on the floor. Reuters reporters witnessed dozens of arrests. In one case police carried off a man as he clung upside down to his bicycle.

Police said they had detained 600 and said 1,500 had attended the protest, though footage of demonstrations which flared in different parts of Moscow suggested many more had taken part.

Saturday's protest was smaller than one a week earlier but underlined the determination of some Kremlin critics -- especially younger people -- to keep pressing to open up Russia's tightly-choreographed political system.

The focus of protesters' anger is a prohibition on a number of opposition-minded candidates, some of whom are allies of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-launches-probe-against-kremlin-critic-alexei-navalnys-anti-graft-group-240459">jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny</a>, from taking part in a September election for Moscow's city legislature.

That vote, though local, is seen as a dry run for a national parliamentary election in 2021.

Authorities say opposition candidates failed to collect enough genuine signatures to register. The excluded candidates say that is a lie and insist on taking part in a contest they believe they could win.

"They (the authorities) are wiping their feet on us," said Elena, a student attending Saturday's protest.

Another attendee, Yevgeny Snetkov, a 61-year-old engineer, described as brazen the way the authorities had prevented opposition candidates from running. "I had no option left but to protest," he said.

Some protesters chanted "Putin is a thief" as they marched.

International condemnation

Observers said the police presence was one of the biggest at such a protest in nearly a decade. Mobile internet access went down in some areas and police cordoned off swathes of central Moscow to stop people gathering.

At a similar protest a week earlier, police detained more than 1,300 in one of the biggest security operations of recent years that brought wide international condemnation.

Authorities carried out a new round of detentions and home searches before Saturday's protest and opened criminal proceedings for what they term mass civil unrest, an offence which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail.

Activists say the Russian constitution allows them to freely protest. But authorities say they need to agree the timing and location of any demonstrations in advance, something that was not done ahead of Saturday's protest.

Opposition activists say the authorities have repeatedly refused to allow protests in central Moscow, leaving them with no choice but to go ahead anyway.

At least eight of Sobol's allies, including Navalny, are in jail for breaking tough protest laws. The ruling United Russia dominates the national parliament and Navalny plus his allies are starved of media air-time.

Russian investigators said on Saturday they had opened a criminal investigation into the alleged laundering of 1 billion roubles ($15.3 million) by an anti-corruption foundation which Navalny set up. Navalny and his allies say the foundation is transparently financed from public donations.

President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have not commented on the standoff with the opposition, but Moscow prosecutors on Friday warned would-be protesters that Saturday's demonstration had not been approved and its organisers could be brought to account.

At well over 60 percent, Putin's approval rating is still high compared with many other world leaders, but is lower than it used to be due to discontent over years of falling incomes.

Last year the 66-year-old former KGB intelligence officer won a landslide re-election and a new six-year term until 2024.

Russian police forcibly detained nearly 700 people attending a protest in Moscow on Saturday to demand free elections, including prominent activist Lyubov Sobol, after authorities warned the demonstration was illegal.

Russian police forcibly detained nearly 700 people attending a protest in Moscow on Saturday to demand free elections, including prominent activist Lyubov Sobol, after authorities warned the demonstration was illegal. Police removed Sobol from a taxi and bundled her into a van minutes before the start of what anti-Kremlin activists described as a peaceful walk to protest against the exclusion of their candidates from an election next month. Soon after the start of the protest, a Reuters reporter saw several hundred people milling around at one of the designated protest points in central Moscow. Minutes later, a line of riot police began to squeeze people out of the area. OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group, said police had detained 685 people, in some cases beating them with truncheons as they lay on the floor. Reuters reporters witnessed dozens of arrests. In one case police carried off a man as he clung upside down to his bicycle. Police said they had detained 600 and said 1,500 had attended the protest, though footage of demonstrations which flared in different parts of Moscow suggested many more had taken part. Saturday's protest was smaller than one a week earlier but underlined the determination of some Kremlin critics -- especially younger people -- to keep pressing to open up Russia's tightly-choreographed political system. The focus of protesters' anger is a prohibition on a number of opposition-minded candidates, some of whom are allies of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny, from taking part in a September election for Moscow's city legislature. That vote, though local, is seen as a dry run for a national parliamentary election in 2021. Authorities say opposition candidates failed to collect enough genuine signatures to register. The excluded candidates say that is a lie and insist on taking part in a contest they believe they could win. "They (the authorities) are wiping their feet on us," said Elena, a student attending Saturday's protest. Another attendee, Yevgeny Snetkov, a 61-year-old engineer, described as brazen the way the authorities had prevented opposition candidates from running. "I had no option left but to protest," he said. Some protesters chanted "Putin is a thief" as they marched. International condemnation Observers said the police presence was one of the biggest at such a protest in nearly a decade. Mobile internet access went down in some areas and police cordoned off swathes of central Moscow to stop people gathering. At a similar protest a week earlier, police detained more than 1,300 in one of the biggest security operations of recent years that brought wide international condemnation. Authorities carried out a new round of detentions and home searches before Saturday's protest and opened criminal proceedings for what they term mass civil unrest, an offence which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail. Activists say the Russian constitution allows them to freely protest. But authorities say they need to agree the timing and location of any demonstrations in advance, something that was not done ahead of Saturday's protest. Opposition activists say the authorities have repeatedly refused to allow protests in central Moscow, leaving them with no choice but to go ahead anyway. At least eight of Sobol's allies, including Navalny, are in jail for breaking tough protest laws. The ruling United Russia dominates the national parliament and Navalny plus his allies are starved of media air-time. Russian investigators said on Saturday they had opened a criminal investigation into the alleged laundering of 1 billion roubles ($15.3 million) by an anti-corruption foundation which Navalny set up. Navalny and his allies say the foundation is transparently financed from public donations. President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have not commented on the standoff with the opposition, but Moscow prosecutors on Friday warned would-be protesters that Saturday's demonstration had not been approved and its organisers could be brought to account. At well over 60 percent, Putin's approval rating is still high compared with many other world leaders, but is lower than it used to be due to discontent over years of falling incomes. Last year the 66-year-old former KGB intelligence officer won a landslide re-election and a new six-year term until 2024.

Russian police detain nearly 700 in opposition crackdown in Moscow

Russian Opposition protests against Vladimir Putin's grip on power. Watch this video to know more.

Protest heats in Moscow against Putin's grip on power

Olga Misik: The new icon of defiance

Moscow is set to deploy new weapons as Russia and the US officially pull out of the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty on Friday, analysts say, raising the spectre of another arms race.

Washington and Moscow have long accused each other of violating the 1987 treaty and both sides have been planning the mutual withdrawal for many months.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended participation in the agreement, which limits the use of medium-range missiles, in March after Donald Trump's White House said it was ditching the deal.

As well as alleged Russian violations, Washington says the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty ties its hands while giving other countries - mainly China - free rein.&nbsp;

"Now that the treaty is over, we will see the development and deployment of new weapons," military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer told AFP, adding,&nbsp;"Russia is already ready".

Putin first discussed the new weapons late last year in front of high-ranking officers and he gave further details in February - just as the US launched the procedure to ditch the INF deal.

In addition to the creation of a medium-range land-based missile, Moscow plans to develop a land-based version of the Kalibr missiles that have already successfully been used by the navy and tested in Syria.&nbsp;

But Russia has financial constraints.&nbsp;

It has struggled to emerge from a 2014 economic crisis caused by sanctions and a fall in oil prices. Its military budget is a tenth of the size of Washington's.

Putin has specified that the new missiles must be developed "without increasing the defence budget". Observers say this reluctance to boost spending maybe a hangover from the Soviet Union, which collapsed partly under the burden of its huge military spending.&nbsp;

Other major deal to expire

Washington has for the last five years denounced the Russian development of systems that it says violate the treaty.&nbsp;

The missile in question, the 9M729, has a range of about 1,500 kilometres (900 miles) according to NATO, but Moscow insists it can fly only 480 km.

When Trump announced his intention to drop the agreement, the Kremlin did little to dissuade him.&nbsp;

Russian officials had been criticising the INF deal for years, saying it gave Washington an unfair advantage.&nbsp;

"Russia's been messing around for a long time, first denying this missile exists, then acknowledging it does exist but saying it's in line with the agreement," military analyst Alexander Golts said.

"As early as 2007, when Russia withdrew from the CFE treaty (on conventional weapons in Europe), the Russian military and the Kremlin said that the INF treaty was not a good agreement, that it was not fair," analyst Felgenhauer added.

Every time the US announced the deployment of a new missile defence system to allies in Europe or Asia, questions around the deal were raised again.&nbsp;

The US says these systems are purely defensive, but for Moscow, they are too close for comfort and seen as an attempt to contain Russia's nuclear capabilities.

The INF deal was seen as one of two key arms deals between Russia and the US - the other being the New START treaty, which keeps the nuclear arsenals of both countries well below their Cold War peak.&nbsp;

However, this deal too is set to expire in 2021 and there appears to be little political will to negotiate an extension.

"The chances that this will carry on are low," Alexander Savelyev of the Russian International Affairs Council think tank said.

"Nothing then will limit the new nuclear arms race between the United States and Russia."&nbsp;

Moscow is set to deploy new weapons as Russia and the US officially pull out of the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty on Friday, analysts say, raising the spectre of another arms race.

Moscow is set to deploy new weapons as Russia and the US officially pull out of the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty on Friday, analysts say, raising the spectre of another arms race. Washington and Moscow have long accused each other of violating the 1987 treaty and both sides have been planning the mutual withdrawal for many months. Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended participation in the agreement, which limits the use of medium-range missiles, in March after Donald Trump's White House said it was ditching the deal. As well as alleged Russian violations, Washington says the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty ties its hands while giving other countries - mainly China - free rein. "Now that the treaty is over, we will see the development and deployment of new weapons," military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer told AFP, adding, "Russia is already ready". Putin first discussed the new weapons late last year in front of high-ranking officers and he gave further details in February - just as the US launched the procedure to ditch the INF deal. In addition to the creation of a medium-range land-based missile, Moscow plans to develop a land-based version of the Kalibr missiles that have already successfully been used by the navy and tested in Syria. But Russia has financial constraints. It has struggled to emerge from a 2014 economic crisis caused by sanctions and a fall in oil prices. Its military budget is a tenth of the size of Washington's. Putin has specified that the new missiles must be developed "without increasing the defence budget". Observers say this reluctance to boost spending maybe a hangover from the Soviet Union, which collapsed partly under the burden of its huge military spending. Other major deal to expire Washington has for the last five years denounced the Russian development of systems that it says violate the treaty. The missile in question, the 9M729, has a range of about 1,500 kilometres (900 miles) according to NATO, but Moscow insists it can fly only 480 km. When Trump announced his intention to drop the agreement, the Kremlin did little to dissuade him. Russian officials had been criticising the INF deal for years, saying it gave Washington an unfair advantage. "Russia's been messing around for a long time, first denying this missile exists, then acknowledging it does exist but saying it's in line with the agreement," military analyst Alexander Golts said. "As early as 2007, when Russia withdrew from the CFE treaty (on conventional weapons in Europe), the Russian military and the Kremlin said that the INF treaty was not a good agreement, that it was not fair," analyst Felgenhauer added. Every time the US announced the deployment of a new missile defence system to allies in Europe or Asia, questions around the deal were raised again. The US says these systems are purely defensive, but for Moscow, they are too close for comfort and seen as an attempt to contain Russia's nuclear capabilities. The INF deal was seen as one of two key arms deals between Russia and the US - the other being the New START treaty, which keeps the nuclear arsenals of both countries well below their Cold War peak. However, this deal too is set to expire in 2021 and there appears to be little political will to negotiate an extension. "The chances that this will carry on are low," Alexander Savelyev of the Russian International Affairs Council think tank said. "Nothing then will limit the new nuclear arms race between the United States and Russia."

Moscow set to deploy new weapons as Cold War-era INF treaty ends

Russian police said they had arrested a man suspected of murdering a popular lifestyle blogger and model whose body was found in a suitcase in her apartment in Moscow.

Ekaterina Karaglanova's landlord found the 24-year-old's body at a rented apartment on Saturday after her parents had been unable to reach her by phone, the Investigative Committee which handles major crimes said. She had been stabbed.

Karaglanova, who had studied at a medical university, ran a travel, fashion and lifestyle blog on Instagram and had more than 80,000 followers.

Investigators did not disclose the identity of the suspect, saying only he had been born in 1986.

Popular Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda identified the suspect as a 33-year-old acquaintance who had grown jealous after learning Karaglanova planned to go on holiday with another man.

Russian police said they had arrested a man suspected of murdering a popular lifestyle blogger and model whose body was found in a suitcase in her apartment in Moscow.

Russian police said they had arrested a man suspected of murdering a popular lifestyle blogger and model whose body was found in a suitcase in her apartment in Moscow. Ekaterina Karaglanova's landlord found the 24-year-old's body at a rented apartment on Saturday after her parents had been unable to reach her by phone, the Investigative Committee which handles major crimes said. She had been stabbed. Karaglanova, who had studied at a medical university, ran a travel, fashion and lifestyle blog on Instagram and had more than 80,000 followers. Investigators did not disclose the identity of the suspect, saying only he had been born in 1986. Popular Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda identified the suspect as a 33-year-old acquaintance who had grown jealous after learning Karaglanova planned to go on holiday with another man.

Russian police arrest man over murder of popular fashion blogger

A charismatic <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-hospitalised-for-allergic-reaction-239039">anti-corruption campaigner, Alexei Navalny</a> has been Russia's leading opposition politician for around a decade, determined to challenge Vladimir Putin's grip on power despite frequent prison stays and even damage to his health.

The Yale-educated 43-year-old lawyer has been banned from state television and was barred from challenging Putin in a presidential election last year.

He has often been jailed and physically attacked, but has vowed to press ahead with his campaign to change Russia for the better.

Navalny has won a young fan base through viral videos exposing corruption among the elites and has more than two million followers on Twitter.

He has grabbed attention with his uncompromising rhetoric and coined phrases such as the "party of crooks and thieves" to slam the ruling party United Russia.

In 2011, the anti-corruption blogger led mass protests when tens of thousands took to the streets of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dozens-arrested-at-moscow-protest-after-opposition-crackdown-238830">Moscow</a> to protest against vote-rigging in parliamentary elections.

Two years later the father of two stood for Moscow mayor, coming second against Putin ally Sergei Sobyanin.

In 2017, he accused Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of massive corruption in a YouTube documentary. That kick-started a fresh wave of protests across the country that was met with police violence and mass arrests.&nbsp;

The same year he had to travel to Spain for surgery after one of several street attacks left him nearly blind in one eye.

Brother jailed

Navalny has faced a series of legal cases, which supporters see as punishment for his activism.

In 2013, he was found guilty in an embezzlement case involving a timber deal and given a five-year suspended sentence that disqualified him from standing for public office.

The European Court of Human Rights threw out the verdict but a retrial issued Navalny the same sentence.

He then had to spend months under house arrest and was often kept incommunicado over another graft case linked to French cosmetics company Yves Rocher.

In 2014, he was given another suspended sentence, and his brother Oleg, a co-defendant, was jailed for three and a half years in a decision activist have compared to "hostage-taking".

Navalny has said he learned about political campaigning from watching the US television series "House of Cards" and once listed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/tom-cruise-arnold-schwarzenegger-revive-80s-hollywood-classics-at-comic-con-237124">Hollywood actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger</a> among his heroes.

Navalny toured Russia ahead of the 2018 presidential election in an American-style campaign to rally his supporters.

But with the Kremlin tightly controlling the media, he remains a fringe figure for many Russians, who are exposed to the official portrayal of him as a Western stooge and convicted criminal.&nbsp;

Putin has refused to pronounce Navalny's name in public, instead referring to him as "the person you mentioned", among other euphemisms, when asked directly about the opposition leader.

Eye-catching exposes 
&nbsp; 
While barred from mainstream politics, Navalny has kept trying to expose the lavish wealth of Russia's elites, broadcasting the findings of his investigations to millions of Russians on social media and YouTube.

Trawling through land registries and the filings of offshore companies, Navalny and his team have helped lay bare the mansions and hidden fortunes of high-ranking officials.&nbsp;

Among Navalny's most eye-catching exposes have been details on the palatial homes of Putin's allies in Russia and abroad including one kitted out with a vast climate-controlled storage room for fur coats in the residence of Vladimir Yakunin, former chief of Russia's national railways.

But despite tapping into discontent among a largely young urban middle class he is far from a unifying opposition figure and some have criticised his anti-immigrant nationalist stance.

Several members of Navalny's team have fought hard to get on the ballot for Moscow parliament elections in September, each managing to collect roughly 5,000 signatures from supporters. They have been barred from running, along with other pro-Kremlin politicians.

Last week Navalny was jailed for calling an unauthorised protest over the ban and on Sunday he was rushed to a hospital. His lawyer and doctor said he had been "poisoned." 
&nbsp;

A charismatic anti-corruption campaigner, Alexei Navalny has been Russia's leading opposition politician for around a decade, determined to challenge Vladimir Putin's grip on power despite frequent prison stays and even damage to his health.

A charismatic anti-corruption campaigner, Alexei Navalny has been Russia's leading opposition politician for around a decade, determined to challenge Vladimir Putin's grip on power despite frequent prison stays and even damage to his health. The Yale-educated 43-year-old lawyer has been banned from state television and was barred from challenging Putin in a presidential election last year. He has often been jailed and physically attacked, but has vowed to press ahead with his campaign to change Russia for the better. Navalny has won a young fan base through viral videos exposing corruption among the elites and has more than two million followers on Twitter. He has grabbed attention with his uncompromising rhetoric and coined phrases such as the "party of crooks and thieves" to slam the ruling party United Russia. In 2011, the anti-corruption blogger led mass protests when tens of thousands took to the streets of Moscow to protest against vote-rigging in parliamentary elections. Two years later the father of two stood for Moscow mayor, coming second against Putin ally Sergei Sobyanin. In 2017, he accused Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of massive corruption in a YouTube documentary. That kick-started a fresh wave of protests across the country that was met with police violence and mass arrests. The same year he had to travel to Spain for surgery after one of several street attacks left him nearly blind in one eye. Brother jailed Navalny has faced a series of legal cases, which supporters see as punishment for his activism. In 2013, he was found guilty in an embezzlement case involving a timber deal and given a five-year suspended sentence that disqualified him from standing for public office. The European Court of Human Rights threw out the verdict but a retrial issued Navalny the same sentence. He then had to spend months under house arrest and was often kept incommunicado over another graft case linked to French cosmetics company Yves Rocher. In 2014, he was given another suspended sentence, and his brother Oleg, a co-defendant, was jailed for three and a half years in a decision activist have compared to "hostage-taking". Navalny has said he learned about political campaigning from watching the US television series "House of Cards" and once listed Hollywood actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger among his heroes. Navalny toured Russia ahead of the 2018 presidential election in an American-style campaign to rally his supporters. But with the Kremlin tightly controlling the media, he remains a fringe figure for many Russians, who are exposed to the official portrayal of him as a Western stooge and convicted criminal. Putin has refused to pronounce Navalny's name in public, instead referring to him as "the person you mentioned", among other euphemisms, when asked directly about the opposition leader. Eye-catching exposes While barred from mainstream politics, Navalny has kept trying to expose the lavish wealth of Russia's elites, broadcasting the findings of his investigations to millions of Russians on social media and YouTube. Trawling through land registries and the filings of offshore companies, Navalny and his team have helped lay bare the mansions and hidden fortunes of high-ranking officials. Among Navalny's most eye-catching exposes have been details on the palatial homes of Putin's allies in Russia and abroad including one kitted out with a vast climate-controlled storage room for fur coats in the residence of Vladimir Yakunin, former chief of Russia's national railways. But despite tapping into discontent among a largely young urban middle class he is far from a unifying opposition figure and some have criticised his anti-immigrant nationalist stance. Several members of Navalny's team have fought hard to get on the ballot for Moscow parliament elections in September, each managing to collect roughly 5,000 signatures from supporters. They have been barred from running, along with other pro-Kremlin politicians. Last week Navalny was jailed for calling an unauthorised protest over the ban and on Sunday he was rushed to a hospital. His lawyer and doctor said he had been "poisoned."

Alexei Navalny: The lawyer standing up to Russia's President Vladimir Putin

Alexei Navalny has "severe swelling of the face and skin redness", according to his spokeswoman.

Doctor not ruling out Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been poisoned

Russian opposition leader Alexei <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-hospitalised-for-allergic-reaction-239039">Navalny was hospitalised on Sunday</a> after suffering an acute allergic reaction which one doctor said may have been the result of him being poisoned with an unknown chemical substance.

Navalny, 43, was rushed to hospital from jail where he is serving a 30-day sentence for violating tough protest laws, a day after police in Moscow detained more than 1,000 people for an illegal demonstration called for by Navalny.

His spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said Navalny had signs of an acute allergy with "severe swelling of the face and skin redness."

A doctor at the hospital treating him told the Interfax news agency that Navalny had been diagnosed with hives and that he was feeling better.

But one doctor who has treated him in the past and was able to speak briefly with him and look at him through the crack of a door on Sunday said she could not rule out that he had been poisoned.

"We cannot rule out that toxic damage to the skin and mucous membranes by an unknown chemical substance was inflicted with the help of a 'third party'," Anastasia Vasilyeva, the doctor, wrote on Facebook.

Vasilyeva, who said Navalny had a rash on his upper body, skin lesions, and discharge from his eye, called for samples of Navalny's bedsheets, skin and hair to be tested for chemicals.

She said she found the fact that she had not been allowed to examine him properly suspicious.

The Moscow hospital where Navalny's spokeswoman said he was being treated could not be reached for comment.

Separately, Navalny's lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, wrote on Facebook on Sunday evening that doctors did not know what was wrong with her client, but that she deemed his symptoms strange given that he had never suffered from allergies in the past.

Navalny suffered a serious chemical burn to his right eye in 2017 as a result of an assault. Doctors were able to restore his sight and save the eye.

He was jailed on Wednesday this week for 30 days for calling for Saturday's unauthorised march to protest against the exclusion of several opposition candidates from a local election later this year.

While Navalny was behind bars, police rounded up more than 1,000 people in the Russian capital during Saturday's rally in one of the biggest crackdowns in recent years against the opposition, drawing international criticism.

A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Moscow, Andrea Kalan, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that a large number of detentions in Moscow and the "use of disproportionate police force undermine rights of citizens to participate in the democratic process."

Opposition activist detained

In a separate incident on Sunday, Russian activist Dmitry Gudkov, who was among the opposition candidates barred from running in local elections later this year, said he had been detained and taken to a Moscow police station.

The reason for Gudkov's detention was not immediately clear, his spokesman Alexei Obukhov told Reuters.

Russia's Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Navalny and Gudkov's detention.

Police on Sunday night detained about 10 people, including journalists, who had gathered in front of the hospital where Navalny was being treated.

Navalny, a lawyer and anti-corruption activist, has served several stints in jail in recent years for organising anti-government demonstrations.

The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled Russia's arrests and detention of Navalny in 2012 and 2014 were politically motivated and breached his human rights, a ruling Moscow called questionable.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was hospitalised on Sunday after suffering an acute allergic reaction which one doctor said may have been the result of him being poisoned with an unknown chemical substance.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was hospitalised on Sunday after suffering an acute allergic reaction which one doctor said may have been the result of him being poisoned with an unknown chemical substance. Navalny, 43, was rushed to hospital from jail where he is serving a 30-day sentence for violating tough protest laws, a day after police in Moscow detained more than 1,000 people for an illegal demonstration called for by Navalny. His spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said Navalny had signs of an acute allergy with "severe swelling of the face and skin redness." A doctor at the hospital treating him told the Interfax news agency that Navalny had been diagnosed with hives and that he was feeling better. But one doctor who has treated him in the past and was able to speak briefly with him and look at him through the crack of a door on Sunday said she could not rule out that he had been poisoned. "We cannot rule out that toxic damage to the skin and mucous membranes by an unknown chemical substance was inflicted with the help of a 'third party'," Anastasia Vasilyeva, the doctor, wrote on Facebook. Vasilyeva, who said Navalny had a rash on his upper body, skin lesions, and discharge from his eye, called for samples of Navalny's bedsheets, skin and hair to be tested for chemicals. She said she found the fact that she had not been allowed to examine him properly suspicious. The Moscow hospital where Navalny's spokeswoman said he was being treated could not be reached for comment. Separately, Navalny's lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, wrote on Facebook on Sunday evening that doctors did not know what was wrong with her client, but that she deemed his symptoms strange given that he had never suffered from allergies in the past. Navalny suffered a serious chemical burn to his right eye in 2017 as a result of an assault. Doctors were able to restore his sight and save the eye. He was jailed on Wednesday this week for 30 days for calling for Saturday's unauthorised march to protest against the exclusion of several opposition candidates from a local election later this year. While Navalny was behind bars, police rounded up more than 1,000 people in the Russian capital during Saturday's rally in one of the biggest crackdowns in recent years against the opposition, drawing international criticism. A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Moscow, Andrea Kalan, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that a large number of detentions in Moscow and the "use of disproportionate police force undermine rights of citizens to participate in the democratic process." Opposition activist detained In a separate incident on Sunday, Russian activist Dmitry Gudkov, who was among the opposition candidates barred from running in local elections later this year, said he had been detained and taken to a Moscow police station. The reason for Gudkov's detention was not immediately clear, his spokesman Alexei Obukhov told Reuters. Russia's Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Navalny and Gudkov's detention. Police on Sunday night detained about 10 people, including journalists, who had gathered in front of the hospital where Navalny was being treated. Navalny, a lawyer and anti-corruption activist, has served several stints in jail in recent years for organising anti-government demonstrations. The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled Russia's arrests and detention of Navalny in 2012 and 2014 were politically motivated and breached his human rights, a ruling Moscow called questionable.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny may have been poisoned: Doctor

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was discharged from a Moscow hospital on Monday where he was being treated for an unexplained health problem and returned to prison under guard, Anastasia Vasilyeva, his doctor, said.

Separately, Navalny's lawyer Olga Mikhailova told reporters in front of the hospital that her client had been poisoned by an unidentified chemical agent, a thesis put forward by Vasilyeva a day earlier.

Navalny, 43, was rushed to hospital from jail on Sunday morning with what his spokeswoman said were signs of an acute allergy with "severe swelling of the face and skin redness."

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was discharged from a Moscow hospital on Monday where he was being treated for an unexplained health problem and returned to prison under guard, Anastasia Vasilyeva, his doctor, said.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was discharged from a Moscow hospital on Monday where he was being treated for an unexplained health problem and returned to prison under guard, Anastasia Vasilyeva, his doctor, said. Separately, Navalny's lawyer Olga Mikhailova told reporters in front of the hospital that her client had been poisoned by an unidentified chemical agent, a thesis put forward by Vasilyeva a day earlier. Navalny, 43, was rushed to hospital from jail on Sunday morning with what his spokeswoman said were signs of an acute allergy with "severe swelling of the face and skin redness."

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny discharged from hospital

Russian police have arrested at least 1,400 people in Moscow after they gathered at a protest march, the rally was demanding free and fair city elections. Watch this video to know more.

Russia: 3,500 people march on Moscow's streets

Russian police have arrested at least 1,400 people in Moscow after they gathered at the protest march, the rally was demanding free and fair city elections. Watch this video to know more.

Russia: 1400 arrested at Moscow rally

Russian police arrested almost <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dozens-arrested-at-moscow-protest-after-opposition-crackdown-238830">1,400 people as they gathered in Moscow</a> at the weekend to demand open elections, a monitor said, the biggest crackdown on a rally in the country in years.

Some 3,500 people took part in the unauthorised protest on Saturday, according to official figures, after authorities blocked prominent opposition candidates from taking part in city elections.

The meeting came a week after 22,000 took to the streets calling on authorities to reverse their decision ahead of the vote.

Police used batons on protesters as they tried to gather outside city hall on Saturday, and AFP reporters at the scene saw demonstrators with injuries.&nbsp;

The EU in a statement denounced the "disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters," which it said undermined "the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly".&nbsp;

Amnesty International also condemned what it said was the use of excessive force by the police.&nbsp;

After the rally, last week investigators raided the homes and headquarters of a number of disqualified candidates. Top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling the fresh protest.

Several would-be candidates were detained before or during the meeting on Saturday. Among them was Ilya Yashin, who called for another protest next weekend.&nbsp;

OVD-Info, an organisation that monitors protests, reported Sunday that 1,373 people were detained.&nbsp;

It said this was the highest number since mass demonstrations in 2012 when tens of thousands protested <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-detains-more-than-500-people-over-election-protest-monitor-238890">President Vladimir Putin's</a> return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister.

The new protests come amid wider public anger over declining living standards that have hit Putin's approval ratings.

Elections to Moscow's 45-seat legislative body, currently controlled by the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, are due to be held in September.&nbsp;

While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot for the city polls.

Following pickets last week, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials.&nbsp;

If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison.

Russian police arrested almost 1,400 people as they gathered in Moscow at the weekend to demand open elections, a monitor said, the biggest crackdown on a rally in the country in years.

Russian police arrested almost 1,400 people as they gathered in Moscow at the weekend to demand open elections, a monitor said, the biggest crackdown on a rally in the country in years. Some 3,500 people took part in the unauthorised protest on Saturday, according to official figures, after authorities blocked prominent opposition candidates from taking part in city elections. The meeting came a week after 22,000 took to the streets calling on authorities to reverse their decision ahead of the vote. Police used batons on protesters as they tried to gather outside city hall on Saturday, and AFP reporters at the scene saw demonstrators with injuries. The EU in a statement denounced the "disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters," which it said undermined "the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly". Amnesty International also condemned what it said was the use of excessive force by the police. After the rally, last week investigators raided the homes and headquarters of a number of disqualified candidates. Top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling the fresh protest. Several would-be candidates were detained before or during the meeting on Saturday. Among them was Ilya Yashin, who called for another protest next weekend. OVD-Info, an organisation that monitors protests, reported Sunday that 1,373 people were detained. It said this was the highest number since mass demonstrations in 2012 when tens of thousands protested President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister. The new protests come amid wider public anger over declining living standards that have hit Putin's approval ratings. Elections to Moscow's 45-seat legislative body, currently controlled by the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, are due to be held in September. While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot for the city polls. Following pickets last week, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials. If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison.

Russian police arrest 1,400 people in Moscow election protest

Russian police has arrested at least 1,400 people in Moscow after they gathered at the protest march, the rally was demanding free and fair city elections. Watch this video to know more.

Russia: Protesters demand fair city elections

Russian police arrested dozens of people as they gathered at Moscow city hall Saturday to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-opposition-plans-protest-demanding-fair-elections-despite-arrests-238824">demand free and fair elections</a>, an AFP journalist said, following a crackdown on the opposition.&nbsp;

Thousands of Russians had vowed to<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-police-detain-at-least-94-including-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-at-moscow-journalist-protest-226536"> take to the streets </a>of the capital after authorities refused to allow opposition and independent candidates to stand for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-over-20000-rally-in-moscow-as-election-anger-boils-over-237366">Moscow</a>'s city council in September.&nbsp;

Investigators raided the homes and headquarters of several disqualified candidates in the run-up to the protest, while top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling for the demonstration.&nbsp;

Other leading opposition figures and would-be candidates were arrested in the hours leading up to the event.

The Saturday protest is the latest in a series of rallies over the local election, which comes amid declining living standards and a fall in President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings.

Local polls are a rare opportunity for dissenting voices to participate in political life as anti-Kremlin parties have been squeezed out of parliament over Putin's 20 years in power.

Security was tight in central Moscow on Saturday and an AFP journalist said at least 50 people had been arrested before the planned start of the demonstration at two pm local time (1100 GMT).&nbsp;

Protest monitoring organisations reported dozens more arrests.

Politician and disqualified candidate Dmitry Gudkov was arrested shortly before the march. Earlier he had said the future of the country was at stake.

"If we lose now, elections will cease to exist as a political instrument," he said.&nbsp;

"What we're talking about is whether it's legal to participate in politics today in Russia, we're talking about the country we're going to live in."

Elena Rastovka, a 68-year-old pensioner at the demonstration, told AFP: "I've been afraid all my life, but enough is enough. If we stay at home nothing will change.

"Authorities arrest people who want to challenge them. Look at what they're doing -- the authorities do not like the people."

Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov said he had been arrested shortly ahead of the demonstration, while barred candidate Ilya Yashin announced he was detained in the early hours of Saturday morning following a raid on his home.

- 'Security threat' -

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobaynin called the unauthorised protest a "security threat", adding that "order will be ensured according to the relevant laws".&nbsp;

Last weekend 22,000 people turned up for a protest in Moscow, the largest such demonstration in years, after election authorities refused to register dozens of candidates.

While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot.

Rejected candidate Lyubov Sobol this week launched a hunger strike in protest.&nbsp;

On Thursday, the 31-year-old demanded officials review her documents and came to the offices of the Moscow election commission to continue her strike.

But security agents took her out of the building on the sofa she was sitting on.

After activists and ordinary Muscovites staged pickets, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials.&nbsp;

If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison.

- ' Impossible not to protest' -

Nearly 11,000 people indicated interest in the rally on Facebook.

Police asked media to notify the authorities if they planned to cover the protest and urged Russians to skip the rally altogether.

Viktoria Popova, a 30-year-old illustrator, said she could not miss it.&nbsp;

"It is impossible not to come, it's impossible to feel powerless, unable to change anything," she told AFP.

"Who would have thought it would become important to take part in such a bizarre and boring affair as the Moscow parliament election?"

Russian police arrested dozens of people as they gathered at Moscow city hall Saturday to demand free and fair elections, an AFP journalist said, following a crackdown on the opposition.

Russian police arrested dozens of people as they gathered at Moscow city hall Saturday to demand free and fair elections, an AFP journalist said, following a crackdown on the opposition. Thousands of Russians had vowed to take to the streets of the capital after authorities refused to allow opposition and independent candidates to stand for Moscow's city council in September. Investigators raided the homes and headquarters of several disqualified candidates in the run-up to the protest, while top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling for the demonstration. Other leading opposition figures and would-be candidates were arrested in the hours leading up to the event. The Saturday protest is the latest in a series of rallies over the local election, which comes amid declining living standards and a fall in President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings. Local polls are a rare opportunity for dissenting voices to participate in political life as anti-Kremlin parties have been squeezed out of parliament over Putin's 20 years in power. Security was tight in central Moscow on Saturday and an AFP journalist said at least 50 people had been arrested before the planned start of the demonstration at two pm local time (1100 GMT). Protest monitoring organisations reported dozens more arrests. Politician and disqualified candidate Dmitry Gudkov was arrested shortly before the march. Earlier he had said the future of the country was at stake. "If we lose now, elections will cease to exist as a political instrument," he said. "What we're talking about is whether it's legal to participate in politics today in Russia, we're talking about the country we're going to live in." Elena Rastovka, a 68-year-old pensioner at the demonstration, told AFP: "I've been afraid all my life, but enough is enough. If we stay at home nothing will change. "Authorities arrest people who want to challenge them. Look at what they're doing -- the authorities do not like the people." Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov said he had been arrested shortly ahead of the demonstration, while barred candidate Ilya Yashin announced he was detained in the early hours of Saturday morning following a raid on his home. - 'Security threat' - Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobaynin called the unauthorised protest a "security threat", adding that "order will be ensured according to the relevant laws". Last weekend 22,000 people turned up for a protest in Moscow, the largest such demonstration in years, after election authorities refused to register dozens of candidates. While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot. Rejected candidate Lyubov Sobol this week launched a hunger strike in protest. On Thursday, the 31-year-old demanded officials review her documents and came to the offices of the Moscow election commission to continue her strike. But security agents took her out of the building on the sofa she was sitting on. After activists and ordinary Muscovites staged pickets, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials. If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison. - ' Impossible not to protest' - Nearly 11,000 people indicated interest in the rally on Facebook. Police asked media to notify the authorities if they planned to cover the protest and urged Russians to skip the rally altogether. Viktoria Popova, a 30-year-old illustrator, said she could not miss it. "It is impossible not to come, it's impossible to feel powerless, unable to change anything," she told AFP. "Who would have thought it would become important to take part in such a bizarre and boring affair as the Moscow parliament election?"

Dozens arrested at Moscow protest after opposition crackdown

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller is testifying before two congressional committees about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump. Watch full video to know more.

Mueller dismisses Trump claim of 'exoneration'

Vladimir Putin Has Ruled Russia For Nearly 2 Decades Now. But Now, Opposition Protests Are Becoming Far Too Frequent After nearly two decades of Putin's monopoly over Russian politics, opposition leaders stage a major protest. But Putin doesn't want to give up power. Several independent polls have been denied a chance to contest in local body polls. Is Putin behind this attack on democracy? If so, why would he do it? Palki discusses the issue with Harry Horton from Moscow to get a sense of the development.

Gravitas: Major protest in Moscow: New challenge for Vladimir Putin

Dutch appeals judges are expected to render their verdict on Tuesday in the case between Russia and Ukraine over a priceless collection of gold artefact from Crimea that was on display in the Netherlands when the territory was annexed by Moscow in 2014. Watch this video to know more.

Dutch judges to give verdict in Russia-Ukraine fight over Crimean gold

Representatives from the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/robert-muller-to-testify-before-house-committees-on-us-russia-probe-in-july-congress-230456&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiMqYiKornjAhXKso8KHeq_DFMQFjACegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2sjx_-5jhYFhUOAKW0ZERJ">United States and Russia</a> are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday.

US President Donald Trump has said that he would like to see a "next-generation" arms control deal with Russia and China to cover all types of nuclear weapons. He has broached the topic individually with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, including most recently at the G20 summit in Osaka last month.

China is not a party to nuclear arms pacts between the United States and Russia and it is unclear how willing Beijing would be to be drawn into talks, said the officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

"A good meeting would be some greater clarity about where the Russians see things going with the Chinese," one official said.

China's Foreign Ministry reiterated that the country had no interest in joining such talks.

"At present, we cannot see the preconditions or basis for China participating in these negotiations between the United States and Russia," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will lead the delegation, which will include Tim Morrison, a top aide at the White House National Security Council, and representatives from the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Agency, the US officials said.

Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, will lead the Russian delegation, the US officials said.

"We actually feel that - touch wood - we've actually got to a point where we can try to start this again," one US official said.

"I say touch wood because we're always just one incident away from unfortunately things getting derailed," the official said.

Relations between the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-says-us-russia-relations-are-getting-worse-and-worse-226830&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiMqYiKornjAhXKso8KHeq_DFMQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0tvrZETUunIs5K2GbpcHAL">United States and Russia</a> have been sour for years, deteriorating after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war.

Trump has sought better relations but has been hamstrung by a two-year investigation into the 2016 influence campaign by Russian operatives to attack Trump's Democratic rival in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton.

The investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller found there was insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign illegally conspired with Moscow. The Kremlin has denied any meddling.

Relations also frayed over Russia's poisoning of a former spy and his daughter on British soil, the detention of Ukrainian navy boats and crew near Crimea, and Russia's detention of US citizens, among other incidents.

The Geneva meeting will be just two weeks before the United States withdraws from the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty that required both countries to eliminate short-range and intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles.

US authorities believe Moscow is developing and has deployed a ground-launched system in breach of the INF treaty that could allow it to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice. Russia has consistently denied any such violation.

No breakthrough is expected on the INF treaty, the US officials said.

US officials also are not planning to discuss renewal of the 2011 New START treaty, a US-Russia arms control pact which limits deployed strategic nuclear weapons.

One of the officials told reporters it would be "premature" to talk about New START, which is set to expire in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree, calling the issues a "next-year problem."

Representatives from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday.

Representatives from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday. US President Donald Trump has said that he would like to see a "next-generation" arms control deal with Russia and China to cover all types of nuclear weapons. He has broached the topic individually with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, including most recently at the G20 summit in Osaka last month. China is not a party to nuclear arms pacts between the United States and Russia and it is unclear how willing Beijing would be to be drawn into talks, said the officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity. "A good meeting would be some greater clarity about where the Russians see things going with the Chinese," one official said. China's Foreign Ministry reiterated that the country had no interest in joining such talks. "At present, we cannot see the preconditions or basis for China participating in these negotiations between the United States and Russia," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing. US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will lead the delegation, which will include Tim Morrison, a top aide at the White House National Security Council, and representatives from the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Agency, the US officials said. Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, will lead the Russian delegation, the US officials said. "We actually feel that - touch wood - we've actually got to a point where we can try to start this again," one US official said. "I say touch wood because we're always just one incident away from unfortunately things getting derailed," the official said. Relations between the United States and Russia have been sour for years, deteriorating after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war. Trump has sought better relations but has been hamstrung by a two-year investigation into the 2016 influence campaign by Russian operatives to attack Trump's Democratic rival in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton. The investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller found there was insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign illegally conspired with Moscow. The Kremlin has denied any meddling. Relations also frayed over Russia's poisoning of a former spy and his daughter on British soil, the detention of Ukrainian navy boats and crew near Crimea, and Russia's detention of US citizens, among other incidents. The Geneva meeting will be just two weeks before the United States withdraws from the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty that required both countries to eliminate short-range and intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles. US authorities believe Moscow is developing and has deployed a ground-launched system in breach of the INF treaty that could allow it to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice. Russia has consistently denied any such violation. No breakthrough is expected on the INF treaty, the US officials said. US officials also are not planning to discuss renewal of the 2011 New START treaty, a US-Russia arms control pact which limits deployed strategic nuclear weapons. One of the officials told reporters it would be "premature" to talk about New START, which is set to expire in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree, calling the issues a "next-year problem."

US, Russia to discuss nuclear arms limits in Geneva on Wednesday: Officials

More than 1,000 people took to the streets of Moscow on Sunday (July 14) protesting against a possible ban on opposition candidates running in elections to the Russian capital's parliament.

More than 1,000 people rally in Moscow over opposition exclusion in city parliament vote

More than 1,000 people took to the streets of Moscow on Sunday (July 14) protesting against a possible ban on opposition candidates running in elections to the Russian capital's parliament. Opposition leaders cried foul after Moscow's election commission said most of their sponsored candidates failed to secure the required number of signatures to participate in the election as candidates. The commission has yet to officially announce the list of legitimate candidates for the Sept. 8 vote to the 45-seat parliament.

Over 1,000 protest in Moscow over exclusion to city parliament vote

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