Freed Russian prisoner Ilya Yashin urges supporters to 'save Ukraine' in Berlin

The opposition politician, who is now exiled in Germany, told crowds he would focus on re-educating Russians against Putin.

Transcript

00:00A week after his release as part of a prison exchange deal between Russia and Western countries,

00:06Ilya Yashin met his supporters in Berlin.

00:09More than 2,000 people came to meet the Russian opposition activist.

00:14In 2022, he was sentenced to eight and a half years behind bars because he spoke up against

00:21the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

00:24I can only say one thing.

00:25The Russian opposition should engage in anti-military education.

00:30And when Western officials ask me how to help the Russian opposition, I say,

00:36please save Ukraine from Putin and keep supporting Ukraine.

00:41Because if you save Ukraine, you will help free Russia.

00:46Yashin worked with and was close friend of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny,

00:52who died in a Siberian prison in February.

00:55Many wonder if Yashin could become the new leader of Russian opposition.

01:23Whilst in prison, Yashin got over 30,000 letters and encouraged his supporters to write to

01:29activists who are still behind bars in Russia.

01:52Diana Reznik, from Berlin, for euronews.