Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of triggering anti-government protests in the country, the Interfax news agency reported.
"She said they (the elections) were not free and fair, even though she hasn't received reports from observers," Putin said, DPA reported.
"This set a tone for some political groups in our country, it gave them a signal. They hear that signal from the US Secretary of State and they went to work," he added.
Russia should increase vigilance against foreign groups attempting to influence the country's domestic politics, and those groups should be prosecuted, he said.