Shafaq News/ Demonstrators waved the streets across Russia on Friday to denounce the invasion of Ukraine.

The largest demonstration erupted in St. Petersburg, where several hundred people spontaneously gathered in the city center, chanting "No to war!" as police in full riot gear detained one protester after another.

The OVD-Info rights group that tracks political arrests counted 437 detentions in 26 Russian cities, including 226 in Moscow and 130 in St. Petersburg. According to media reports, in Moscow, police were also detaining random people who were just passing by.

The rallies on Friday night appeared smaller than on Thursday when thousands took to the streets across Russia. A total of 1,820 demonstrators were detained in 58 Russian cities on Thursday night, including 1,002 in Moscow, according to OVD-Info. AP said

On Thursday, 1,702 people in 53 Russian cities were detained, at least 940 in Moscow and over 340 people in the second-largest city Saint Petersburg. The Daily Mail reported.

Yelena Chernenko, a journalist with the Kommersant daily, said she "was kicked out of the Foreign Ministry" pool over an open letter condemning the attack on Ukraine that nearly 300 reporters have signed. 

Chernenko said on the messaging app Telegram that the ministry cited her 'lack of professionalism,' and she urged officials not to retaliate against journalists who signed the letter.