More than 1,700 arrested in anti-war Russia protests

More than 1,700 people have been arrested during anti-war protests across dozens of cities in Russia, an independent monitor reports.

More than 900 were arrested in Moscow and over 400 in Saint Petersburg, according to OVD-Info, which tracks arrests at opposition rallies.

Thousands gathered near Pushkin Square in central Moscow, while up to 1,000 people gathered in the former imperial capital Saint Petersburg, the AFP news agency reports.

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"No to war" was spray-painted on the front gate of the Russian parliament's lower house.

"I am in shock. My relatives and loved ones live in Ukraine," Anastasia Nestulya, 23, told AFP in Moscow.

"What can I tell them over the phone? You hang in there?"