Russians brave -41C in ‘world’s coldest city’ to protest Putin critic Navalny’s arrest

Russians have braved bone-chilling -41C temperatures in the ‘world’s coldest city’ and across the country to protest against the arrest of a Vladimir Putin critic.

Supporters of Alexei Navalny have been staging events demanding his release from prison and more than 500 people have already been arrested on Sunday.

Incredible footage shows undeterred protesters holding hands and dancing in a circle on the ‘frozen ocean’ of  Amur Bay, near Vladivostok, as they chanted ‘Putin is a thief’ and ‘shame shame shame’.

They’re chant in unison as a law enforcement boat broke down while chasing crowds on the thick sea ice in -13C temperatures.

More protests were held some 1800 miles away in Yakutsk, the the world’s coldest city where the cold drops to an unimaginable -41C.

Not everyone supports the protests however, with one middle-aged woman heard to shout to police “spray water on the protesters”, which could prove fatal give the temperature.

Larger rallies are also beiing been held in cities like Moscow, and come after around 4,000 people were arrested during clashes with police last week.

More than 500 people are understood to have already been arrested in eastern Russian cities today, on the second weekend of unsanctioned rallies demanding the release from jail of Putin foe Navalny.

In the Russian Far East and Siberia the formidable riot police presence – seen on videos – and threats of harsh detention appeared to have cowed people into staying away compared with last week.

In Krasnoyarsk, protesters used a traditional ‘khorovod’ folk dances in minus 31C temperatures to express their opposition as they were ringed by a wall of heavily armed police.

An exception was Novosibirsk – Russia’s third largest city and unofficial capital of Siberia – which had some 5,000 walking on a main street chasing ‘Freedom, Freedom’.

In Tomsk, a noisy demonstration shouted: ‘Freedom to Alexei Navalny.’

In Chelyabinsk, crowds shouted ‘Brutality’ as police manhandled two young protesters to detention.

“Dear god, how did we get to this?” cries a woman.

In many cities officers had ‘avtozaks’ – cells on wheels – awaiting the protesters.

Piles of snow, and chopped trees, were also used by the authorities to block the way of protesters.

Navalny’s supporters in Moscow plan to rally near the Kremlin administration and the headquarters of the FSB, the KGB’s successor, later today.

Protests in support of 44-year-old were called for in 142 cities across the country’s 11 time zones, with the largest beginning due in Moscow at noon local time.

The anti-corruption campaigner is currently held in jail accused of parole violations.

Navalny claims this and expected new charges are “political” from the Kremlin which is scared of his popular appeal.

He accuses Putin of ordering his murder following his August poisoning with a nerve agent.

Some of his closest aides have been detained, too.

Navalny also released a video now viewed more than 100 million times claiming Putin owned a gargantuan palace on the Black Sea coast paid for with taxpayers money.

On Saturday, one of Putin’s closest and oldest friends, oligarch Arkady Rotenberg – his former judo sparring partner – said the palace belong to him, not the president, a claim that has been mocked by Kremlin foes.

The protests come amid complaints of falling wages and a high toll from Covid-19.