TODAY: Tens of thousands gather in Moscow calling for a Russia without Putin, as Kremlin seeks to dispel protesters’ concerns; Sergei Udaltsov sentence extended, Navalny addresses crowds; Peskov and Surkov defend government; Rogozin appointed Deputy PM; anti-homophobic protests in Kostroma.

Police estimated crowds of 29,000; security sources estimates were 80,000; protest organisers put the figures at 120,000.  Either way, the protests of December 24, which called for an annulling of the latest election results and for a re-take that would include unregistered opposition parties, was the largest since the fall of the Soviet Union.  Protesters’ chants and slogans called for a Russia without Vladimir Putin.  RFE/RL has compiled a selection of the best placards from the day.  A day after the protests, Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov was jailed again (having just been due for release) for a further ten days (his 14th detention this year): Garry Kasparov called it a desperate attempt by the authorities to show power; the magistrate in charge of the decision denies succumbing to any pressure from above.  Alexei Navalny spoke to the crowds on the protest day, commenting on the size of the gathering: ‘I see enough people here to take the Kremlin and the government building right now. But we are a peaceful force. We will not do that. Not just yet.’  He also said that he was ready to fight for ‘leadership positions, including the post of president’.