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The fourth anniversary of the start of the war: detentions and other forms of pressure

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Anti-war picket in St Petersburg, October 2025 / Photo: Bumaga

On 24 February 2026, on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, anti-war protests are taking place in cities across Russia. OVD-Info is monitoring detentions and pressure being exerted on participants.

24.02.2026

20:36

Moscow

Earlier today, another young woman was detained at the Lesya Ukrainka monument. An eyewitness told RusNews that during the arrest, she was knocked into a snowdrift.

The young woman told OVD-Info that she has already been released from the Dorogomilovo police station. She said she had left an A4 sheet with the words “No to war” and a flower at the monument. After her detention, she was issued with an administrative offence report for “discrediting the army” (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). The case will be reviewed by a court tomorrow.

The police at the station questioned her about how much she was paid and forced her to put her phone into airplane mode.

19:58

Moscow

In Moscow, a young man was detained by the monument to Lesya Ukrainka after refusing to show his documents to law enforcement officers for inspection. This was reported by RusNews.

At the same time, SOTAvision writes that police officers checked the man’s documents for several minutes after he laid flowers at the monument, and only then escorted him to a police van.

Several police officers are patrolling the area around the monument and checking passers-by’s identification. The flowers that had been laid at the monument have been removed.

21:25 The young man was released from the Dorogomilovo police station, according to OVD-Info defence lawyer Natalia Tikhonova, who went to assist him.

No protocol was drawn up against him. Police officers also did not confiscate the flowers he had brought to the monument.

17:46

Moscow

In Moscow, a young woman was detained after bringing flowers to the monument to Lesya Ukrainka, reports SOTAvision.

According to witnesses, after she laid the flowers, she was escorted to a police car and taken away.

From early in the morning, Moscow residents have been bringing flowers, notes and yellow-and-blue ribbons to the monument to Lesya Ukrainka. The publication RusNews reported that one of the police officers has been examining the notes left at the monument.

17:53 A police van has arrived at the monument, stopping about 15–20 metres from the plinth, reports SOTAvision.

Police have stopped two more people who came to the monument. It is unclear whether they have been detained.

14:46

Moscow

In Moscow, Taissiya Kurbanaliyeva was detained on Pushkin Square holding a placard reading “No to war, no to occupation.” She herself told OVD-Info about this.

The young woman was taken to the Tverskoy district police department. The specific charges against her are not yet known.

16:57 Kurbanaliyeva is set to be kept in the police station overnight, her legal representative Oskar Cherdzhiev told OVD-Info.

The lawyer was not allowed to see his client. He learned that they intend to charge her under the articles for disobeying police orders (Article 19.3 of the Administrative Offences Code) and for “discrediting” the army (Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Offences Code).

Cherdzhiev filed a complaint to the duty officer regarding his denial of access to Kurbanaliyeva and then left the station.

25 February The Tverskoy District Court in Moscow considered the charges against Taissiya Kurbanaliyeva for “discrediting” the army and disobeying police orders, the press office of the Moscow courts reported.

For the article on “discrediting” the army, she was fined 40,000 rubles (approximately US$430). The reason was the placard reading: “No to war, no to occupation.” For disobeying police orders, she was sentenced to 10 days’ arrest. It is not known what, specifically, the authorities consider constituted “disobedience.”