A small group of demonstrators in Saint Petersburg shone their cellphone flashlights in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Sunday (February 14).

Leonid Volkov, a close ally of poisoned Kremlin critic Navalny, had urged Russians to take part in courtyard protests on Sunday evening, lighting their phone flashlights for 15 minutes and to post pictures on social media.

Eyewitness footage shows such a protest taking place in Saint Petersburg.

But Russia has moved swiftly to extinguish such protests.

"Officials accused Navalny’s allies of acting on NATO’s instructions," the Associated Press reported on Sunday. "Kremlin-backed TV channels warned that flashlight rallies were part of major uprisings around the world. State news agencies cited unnamed sources saying a terrorist group was plotting attacks during unapproved mass protests."

Navalny lights-march in one of the courtyards of St Petersburg, Russia