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Russia election protests: Troops sent to Moscow Russia election protests: Putin plays down losses
(40 minutes later)
Thousands of police and interior ministry troops are being deployed in Moscow, after protesters accused the authorities of rigging the election. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has played down his party's losses at Sunday's parliamentary election as inevitable for a party in power.
Troop lorries were seen heading for the centre as the interior ministry said it aimed "to ensure the security of the citizens". Thousands of police and interior troops are on alert in Moscow, after one of the biggest opposition rallies in the city centre for years.
Several thousand people attended Monday's protest, one of the biggest in the centre of the capital in years. Police made 300 arrests as protesters chanted "Russia without Putin".
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has played down his party's poll reverses. Among those held was Alexei Navalny, a top anti-corruption campaigner and fierce critic of Mr Putin.
At least 300 protesters were arrested at Monday's protests in Moscow including Alexei Navalny, a leading campaigner against corruption and fierce critic of Mr Putin. A counter-demonstration by Putin supporters was held beside Red Square on Tuesday amid reports that opposition supporters were planning a new protest.
A counter-demonstration by Putin supporters was held beside Red Square on Tuesday. Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) say Sunday's election was slanted in favour of Mr Putin's party, United Russia.
Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reported that Sunday's election had been slanted in favour of Mr Putin's party, United Russia.
'Inevitable losses'
United Russia won the election with just under 50% of the vote, a sharp drop in its support.United Russia won the election with just under 50% of the vote, a sharp drop in its support.
Correspondents say the result reflects Mr Putin's declining popularity ahead of his bid for the Russian presidency in March.Correspondents say the result reflects Mr Putin's declining popularity ahead of his bid for the Russian presidency in March.
But speaking to United Russia officials in Moscow on Tuesday, the prime minister and former two-term president suggested that electoral losses were inevitable for any party in power. 'Inevitable losses'
"Yes, there were losses and they are inevitable," he said, quoted by Russian news agencies. Speaking to United Russia officials in Moscow on Tuesday, Mr Putin suggested that electoral losses were inevitable for any party in power.
"Yes, there were losses and they are inevitable," the prime minister and former two-term president said, quoted by Russian news agencies.
"They are inevitable for any political force, especially for one which, not for the first year, bears the brunt of responsibility for the situation in the country.""They are inevitable for any political force, especially for one which, not for the first year, bears the brunt of responsibility for the situation in the country."
Mr Putin also rejected the accusation by Mr Navalny and others that his party was especially corrupt.Mr Putin also rejected the accusation by Mr Navalny and others that his party was especially corrupt.
"This is a label applied not to a specific political party but to authorities [in general]," he said, promising to tackle the issue."This is a label applied not to a specific political party but to authorities [in general]," he said, promising to tackle the issue.
Are you in Russia? Are you in Moscow? What do you think of the Interior ministry's act? Send us your comments and experiences. Corruption has been the chief accusation levelled against United Russia by Mr Navalny, one of the country's most influential bloggers.
Troops deployed
Little has been heard from the campaigner since his arrest though he was brought to a Moscow courthouse on Tuesday.
But a fellow opposition figure, Ilya Yashin of the Solidarity group, was jailed on Tuesday for 15 days for disobeying police orders during the previous day's rally.
A new rally in central Moscow has been called for Tuesday evening, against United Russia. A page on the Russian social networking site vKontakte calls for "making it hot for the thieving authorities".
On Twitter, a medium much used by the protesters, a "6dec" Cyrillic hashtag has appeared. The hashtag "5dec" was associated with Monday's rally.
One tweet reads: "All decent people are asking Santa Claus [literally: Grandfather Frost] this year for a Russia without Putin."
Interior ministry spokesman Oleg Yelnikov told AFP news agency that "as many [troops] as required" would police Moscow.
He said security forces would remain on a "heightened regime" of alert until all the votes in the election were counted, adding that some 11,500 interior ministry troops would ensure order across the country.
A Moscow police spokesman separately told AFP that up to 4,000 police and interior ministry troops would be deployed to ensure order in Moscow alone on Tuesday.
Are you in Russia? Are you in Moscow? What do you think of the situation after the election? Send us your comments and experiences.