March to remember slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov

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Activists gather in Russian capital for rally in memory of ex-deputy prime minister murdered in February 2015.

Russian activists have started gathering in the capital, Moscow, for a march in memory of Boris Nemtsov, an opposition leader murdered two years ago.

Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister who became an outspoken critic of longtime President Vladimir Putin, was shot in February 2015 while walking across a bridge a short distance from the Kremlin with his Ukrainian girlfriend.

At the time, Nemtsov, 55, was working on a report that he said proved Russia's direct involvement in a separatist rebellion that has raged in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. Russia has denied the accusations.

Five men accused of murdering Nemtsov went on trial in October 2016.

Some marchers on Sunday carried Nemtsov's portraits, Russian flags and placards with slogans such as "Russia without Putin".

"It's at times like this, particularly on the anniversary of Boris Nemtsov's death, where you can kind of check in with the opposition and take the pulse of how [strong] the movement is,"

"What we are finding at the moment is that there is still obviously a good number of people devoted to the cause to keeping the idea of a more democratic, a more liberal Russia alive, but it's an uphill struggle for these people. They are not the majority in the country.

"Certainly when you get out of Moscow and St Petersburg, and into more rural parts of Russia, you find a po[CENSORED]tion that's much more conservative and satisfied with the current status quo." 

Similar rallies to honour Nemtsov are to take place in cities across Russia, including St. Petersburg and his hometown of Nizhny Novgorod.

A Moscow march to remember Nemtsov last year drew thousands of people, with officials saying about 7,500 protesters had taken part in the rally, while others put the figure closer to 20,000.