Thousands of Russian opposition protesters are expected to try and rally again in Moscow on Saturday despite a sweeping police crackdown and ban on the event.

Russian police on Saturday detained prominent opposition activist Lyubov Sobol ahead of a planned protest in Moscow to demand free elections.

Sobol had called on people to attend the demonstration, which authorities in Moscow had refused to sanction.

Sobol, who is on hunger strike, was detained in a taxi as she tried to make her way to the protest and driven off in a police van.