Opposition March in Berlin Protests Ukraine Invasion

Around 1,500 supporters of the Russian opposition marched in Berlin on November 17 to denounce President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, led by Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Protesters chanted slogans such as 'No to war!' and 'No to Putin!' and expressed solidarity with political prisoners in Russia, highlighting their demands for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, prosecution of Putin as a war criminal, and the release of political prisoners. The turnout was lower than expected, reflecting the challenges of mobilizing exiled Russians amid ongoing repression in Russia. While the Kremlin dismissed the protest as irrelevant, organizers aimed to demonstrate that a segment of Russians opposes the war and Putin's regime. Additionally, Ukrainian officials emphasized that protests should occur within Russia itself to be impactful. The demonstration coincided with reports of renewed Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.