Russians mourn at Navalny’s funeral amid chants against Putin

On Friday, Alexey Navalny was laid to rest at Borisov Cemetery, drawing tens of thousands of Russians who came to pay their respects. As Navalny's coffin was interred, an orchestra paid tribute by playing Frank Sinatra's "My Way," a poignant report by the independent Russian news portal Meduza.

Voices proclaiming "Russia will be free. Putin is a killer," "Love is stronger than fear," and "No to war" echoed around the church hosting Navalny's funeral. The line of mourners extended over 1.2 miles, while chants of encouragement such as "Navalny," "don't give up," and "we won't forget" were heard.

Upon Navalny's coffin arriving at the church, the gathered crowd burst into applause and chants of support, declaring, "You were not afraid, and we are not afraid either."

The farewell saw tens of thousands engaging in acts of remembrance, with many waiting hours to lay flowers at his grave. The event also saw arrests; as per the independent monitoring group OVD-Info, at least 128 individuals were detained across 19 Russian cities, including Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Saint Petersburg, amid the funeral proceedings.

On Saturday morning, the mothers of both Alexey and Julia Navalnaya, the latter unable to personally bid farewell, were present at the grave.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov issued a warning that attendance at any unauthorized demonstrations could lead to severe penalties, effectively preventing thousands from participating in Navalny's funeral service.

CNN reported experiencing an unexplained signal disruption in Moscow during their live coverage of the funeral. The broadcast vanished 20 minutes before the ceremonies began and resumed as they were concluding.

Earlier reports indicated interference with online broadcasts of the funeral by Navalny's team, attributed to mobile operators' call blockages and signal jamming. It was also mentioned that an antenna was erected near the church to ensure communication by security forces.

On February 16, the sudden demise of Navalny, Vladimir Putin's most notable political adversary, was announced by Russian authorities. Navalny, who faced up to 30 years in prison, passed away in a penal colony within the Arctic Circle where he was serving a 19-year sentence. His body was not released to his family, as per official statements.