Russian police broke into the Moscow headquarters of top Opposition leader Alexei Navalny using a saw, and detained several members of his team, his aides said.

Moscow: Russian police broke into the Moscow headquarters of top Opposition leader Alexei Navalny using a saw, and detained several members of his team, his aides said.

The 41-year-old Opposition politician had called on Russians across the country to defy authorities and stage rallies calling for an active boycott of 18 March presidential elections despite the prospect of mass arrests.

Police broke into Navalny's headquarters in the Russian capital using a saw, to interrupt a live broadcast covering a series of protests in the east of the country.

Police also detained several employees of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation as well as supporters in the regions, Navalny's team said.

Earlier, Opposition supporters rallied in far eastern Russia and Siberia, with main protests expected to begin in Moscow and Saint Petersburg at 1100 GMT.