Thousands of Russians protest President Vladimir Putin’s attacks on Ukraine as more 1,700 protesters are detained

On Thursday, thousands of people protested President Vladimir Putin’s attacks on Ukraine in cities across Russia, displaying a show of anger over their country's invasion of Ukraine. 

 So far, more than 1,700 people were arrested in at least 47 cities across the nation, according to rights group OVD-Info. 

The group was declared a foreign agent last year, when Putin launched a sweeping crackdown on activists, rights groups, and opposition figures.

 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Thursday spoke out against the attacks during a court hearing, as members of the Russian political elite either remained silent or celebrated.

“I have no method of communicating with the outside world,” Navalny said at the Lefortovo District Court hearing.

 “I ask that my appeal to the court and to the world be recorded,” he said. 

 “I am against this war. I believe that this war between Russia and Ukraine is being waged to cover up the robbery of Russian citizens and to distract their attention from the problems that exist within the country from the degradation of the economy,” Nalvany added.