Thousands of people have marched in central Moscow to mark the third anniversary of the killing of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

Mr Nemtsov was shot and killed on February 27, 2015 while walking on a bridge near the Kremlin.

His death sent shock waves through Russia’s beleaguered opposition.

Demonstrators at the front of Sunday’s anniversary event carried a banner reading: “These bullets are in all of us.”

People march in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in Moscow (Pavel Golovkin/AP)
People march in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in Moscow (Pavel Golovkin/AP)

Two candidates in Russia’s presidential election next month — Ksenia Sobchak and Grigory Yavlinsky — participated in the march.

An officer in the security forces of Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed leader Ramzan Kadyrov was convicted of firing the shots that killed Mr Nemtsov and received a 20-year prison term.

Four other men convicted of being involved in Mr Nemtsov’s death received 11 to 19 years.