The Independent
· collected 2026-10-05 · by Maira Butt,Suha Kidwai and Shweta Sharma
Police in Moscow detained around 60 protesters after an authorised rally descended into a rare display of anti-Kremlin dissent.
asserted
rally → detain → dissent
Demonstrators chanted slogans including “Freedom for political prisoners”, “For fair elections” and “Down with the Tsar” – seen as a reference to Vladimir Putin – during a Communist Party rally in the Russian capital on Sunday.
asserted
Demonstrators → chant → Sunday
The gathering was organised by the Russian rights group OVD-Info to mark the anniversary of Russia’s 1993 constitutional crisis, but police reportedly began making arrests more aggressively as protesters shifted towards openly anti-Kremlin slogans.
uncertain
protesters → organise → slogans
It came as German chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a further €1bn in military aid to Ukraine during a visit to Kyiv in a show of support for president Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Merz → come → Zelensky
The military package includes long-range strike weapons, combat drones and satellite technology, "so that Ukraine can also target Russian launch pads," Merz said at a news conference.
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Merz → include → conference
Berlin also pledged around €350m to help repair and protect Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
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Berlin → pledge → winter
Meanwhile, Russia hit Kyiv’s North Bridge on Sunday, the capital’s mayor said.
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mayor → hit → Sunday
The roadway of the bridge had already been attacked on Saturday, Vitali Klitschko said.
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Klitschko → attack → Saturday
Moscow detains 60 protesters after chants of 'Down with the Tsar
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Moscow → detain → Tsar
Moscow police detained around 60 people at an authorised Communist Party rally on Sunday after protesters began chanting anti-Kremlin slogans, according to the party and Russian rights group OVD-Info.
uncertain
protesters → detain → party
The rally marked the anniversary of Russia’s 1993 constitutional crisis, when a confrontation between then-president Boris Yeltsin and hardline lawmakers culminated in the military shelling of Moscow’s parliament building.
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confrontation → mark → building
Authorities said 123 people were killed, although unofficial estimates put the death toll in the hundreds.
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estimates → say → hundreds
The Communist Party has held annual events to mark the anniversary as a symbol of resistance to reforms introduced during the Yeltsin era.
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Party → hold → era
This year’s authorised gathering, however, took a more openly anti-Kremlin turn as demonstrators chanted slogans including “Freedom for political prisoners”, “For fair elections” and “Down with the Tsar”.
asserted
demonstrators → take → Tsar
According to OVD-Info, protesters also chanted “No to political repression”, “Down with Roskomnadzor” and “Down with the party of crooks and thieves”.
uncertain
protesters → accord → crooks
Although Moscow authorities had approved the rally, detentions reportedly intensified towards the end of the gathering as participants began chanting more directly against the Kremlin.
uncertain
participants → approve → Kremlin
Around 20 people were initially taken to Moscow’s Krasnopresnenskiy police station before the number of reported detainees rose to about 60, OVD-Info said.
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Info → take → 60
Those detained were not all Communist Party supporters.
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Those → detain → ?
They included 26 Communist Party participants, 30 members of the liberal Yabloko party and several other activists.
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They → include → party
The Communist Party, Russia’s largest parliamentary opposition group, broadly aligns itself with the Kremlin on major national security and foreign policy issues, including Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
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Party → align → Ukraine
While it occasionally criticises the government over domestic policies, it does not directly challenge president Vladimir Putin’s rule.
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it → criticise → rule
Moscow detains 60 protesters after chants of 'Down with the Tsar'
asserted
Moscow → detain → Tsar
Moscow police detained around 60 people at an authorised Communist Party rally on Sunday after protesters began chanting anti-Kremlin slogans, according to the party and Russian rights group OVD-Info.
uncertain
protesters → detain → party
The rally marked the anniversary of Russia’s 1993 constitutional crisis, when a confrontation between then-president Boris Yeltsin and hardline lawmakers culminated in the military shelling of Moscow’s parliament building.
asserted
confrontation → mark → building
Authorities said 123 people were killed, although unofficial estimates put the death toll in the hundreds.
asserted
estimates → say → hundreds
The Communist Party has held annual events to mark the anniversary as a symbol of resistance to reforms introduced during the Yeltsin era.
asserted
Party → hold → era
This year’s authorised gathering, however, took a more openly anti-Kremlin turn as demonstrators chanted slogans including “Freedom for political prisoners”, “For fair elections” and “Down with the Tsar”.
asserted
demonstrators → take → Tsar
According to OVD-Info, protesters also chanted “No to political repression”, “Down with Roskomnadzor” and “Down with the party of crooks and thieves”.
uncertain
protesters → accord → crooks
Although Moscow authorities had approved the rally, detentions reportedly intensified towards the end of the gathering as participants began chanting more directly against the Kremlin.
uncertain
participants → approve → Kremlin
Around 20 people were initially taken to Moscow’s Krasnopresnenskiy police station before the number of reported detainees rose to about 60, OVD-Info said.
asserted
Info → take → 60
Those detained were not all Communist Party supporters.
asserted
Those → detain → ?
They included 26 Communist Party participants, 30 members of the liberal Yabloko party and several other activists.
asserted
They → include → party
The Communist Party, Russia’s largest parliamentary opposition group, broadly aligns itself with the Kremlin on major national security and foreign policy issues, including Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
asserted
Party → align → Ukraine
While it occasionally criticises the government over domestic policies, it does not directly challenge president Vladimir Putin’s rule.
asserted
it → criticise → rule
Ukraine believes Russia shared jet-drone technology with North Korea, says Zelensky
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he believed Russia may have shared jet-drone technology with its longstanding ally North Korea.
uncertain
Russia → believe → ally
In recent weeks, Russia has sharply increased its use of jet-drones against Ukraine, which so far has no effective means of countering them other than using combat aircraft.
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which → increase → aircraft
Earlier in the war, North Korea supplied Russia with millions of artillery shells, and it has since provided ballistic missiles that Moscow regularly uses to attack Ukrainian cities.
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Moscow → supply → cities
Asked if Russia had shared with North Korea the technology behind its latest generation of jet-powered drones, Zelensky told journalists: "Yes, of course."
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Zelensky → ask → course
"They (Russia) are sharing with North Korea all the technologies.
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They → share → technologies
I don't know about the ballistic and etc, but I think, yes, because North Korea helped them with missiles," he added.
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he → know → missiles
…and 34 more, not listed.