MOSCOW (AP) — Protesters took to the streets in Moscow, St. Petersburg and across Russia on Friday to decry the invasion of Ukraine, even as authorities sought to suppress the spreading antiwar sentiment and project an image of strength and righteousness.

The largest demonstration erupted in St. Petersburg, where several hundred people spontaneously gathered in the city center, chanting "No to war!" as police in full riot gear detained one protester after another.

The OVD-Info rights group that tracks political arrests counted 437 detentions in 26 Russian cities, including 226 in Moscow and 13...