The Soviet (L) and Russian flags fly over the Kremlin, on December 18 1991, between the Spassky Gate towers, in Moscow. The Soviet flags were raised on December 31, 1991 for the last time to be replaced by the Russian flags, marking the end of the Soviet Union. Photo: AFP

Pro-Russia protesters rallied in Germany on Sunday, the country's significant Russian-speaking population demanding an end to the discrimination it says it has suffered since the crisis began in Ukraine.

Germany is home to 1.2 million people of Russian origin and 325,000 from Ukraine. Authorities fear the conflict could be imported into Germany and the protests used to promote Moscow's narrative.

Police have recorded 383 anti-Russian offences and 181 anti-Ukrainian offences since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started on February 24.

Around 800 people descended on financial hub Frankfurt Sunday, police said, amid a sea of Russian flags to protest "against hatred and harassment," an AFP journalist saw. There was a heavy police presence.

The protesters were outnumbered by 2,500 people taking part in a counter-demonstration in support of Ukraine.

"I came here because I support peace," Ozan Yilmaz, 24, told AFP. "Children are beaten at school because they speak Russian, that's not acceptable."

Sebastian, 25, was also in the pro-Russia crowd. "The war didn't start this year," he said.

"It has been going on since 2014 and so I find that speaking of an attack" against Ukraine by Russia is "not really appropriate."

Local police threw up a large cordon to separate the protesters - marching behind a banner that read "Truth and diversity of opinion over PROPAGANDA" - from a pro-Ukraine counter-demonstration near the city's central banking district.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, strongly opposed the green light given by German authorities to the protests, describing it as a "huge shame" for the country.

Approximately 600 demonstrators staged a car convoy in the northern city of Hanover following an appeal by the Russian-speaking community, local police told AFP, while 200 people took part in a rally in Osnabruck, northwest Germany.

Police said they were closely monitoring the convoy. 

A counter-demonstration in the city under the banner "Support Ukraine!" attracted 3,500 people, according to local police.

Similar protests were held on Saturday in Stuttgart and in the northern city of Lubeck, where around 150 people took part.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted Sunday that he had a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss defense and financial support for Ukraine.

In their talks, the pair also touched upon the sanctions against Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.

Moscow and Kiev have conducted several rounds of peace talks to seek a political settlement to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which has intensified over March.

In a briefing released Sunday, Russia's Defense Ministry said Russian armed forces were continuing the special military operation in Ukraine.

Agencies