Thousands of Russians endorse Navalny to challenge Putin More than 15,000 Russians on Sunday endorsed the candidacy of Alexei Navalny, seen as the only Russian opposition leader who stands a fighting chance of challenging strongman Vladimir Putin in a March vote. The rally in the capital was organized by the opposition municipal deputy for Moscow, Ilya Yashin, who announced his support for Navalny. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES//COMPLETES VID1122159_EN//