MOSCOW (REUTERS) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday (Jan 25) that an opulent Black Sea palace jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has accused him of owning did not belong to him or his family.

Navalny's team released a video last week in which he levelled his allegations about the palace, which has since been viewed more than 86 million times on YouTube.

Putin said he has not watched the film, said it was a "brain wash" and described it as a "boring" compilation.

Putin also called weekend protests demanding the release of Navalny illegal and dangerous.

Putin, fielding questions from students, said nobody should use illegal actions to further their own political interests.

Police detained more than 3,000 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday (Jan 23) after tens of thousands of people ignored extreme cold and police warnings to publicly call for Navalny's release. More to come.