Hundreds of people were arrested in Russia on Sunday during nationwide protests over deeply unpopular pension reforms as the country voted in local elections

Police arrested at least 839 people, mainly in St. Petersburg and the Urals city of Ekaterinburg, who were taking part in demonstrations called by jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, independent monitor OVD-info said.

At least 2,000 people rallied in central Moscow, an AFP correspondent said, as the capital held a mayoral election the Kremlin-backed incumbent was sure to win.