Police and activists were lined up outside a private home in North Oxford as the Russian ambassador was hosted in the city on Thursday evening.

Andrey Kelin, the Russian ambassador to the UK, received an invite from the Oxford Russian Club to speak at a question and answer session.

But Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds called for the event to not go ahead, as she believed there was a risk the ambassador was being “given a platform to speak on behalf of Vladimir Putin’s regime”.

Oxford Mail: Pro-Ukraine activists

Ms Dodds said the Russian invasion of Ukraine had caused “untold suffering and hardship” and instead suggested the society invited a “dissident to discuss the reality of life in Putin’s Russia or a Ukrainian victim to reflect on the impact of the invasion”.

However, the event went ahead inside a house on Rawlinson Road and police officers watched on as around 15 pro-Ukraine activists expressed their hostility to the event going ahead.

The protesters told the Oxford Mail they had been “denied” access to challenge the ambassador and one attendee, Ada Wordsworth, 24, said she was “absolutely disgusted” that such an event was taking place in Oxford.

Ms Wordsworth, who has set up the charity Kharpp to help refugees in Ukraine, said the society was “claiming this event represents free speech” but she highlighted this was not “true” as many people who posted pro-Ukraine content on social media had not been given permission to attend.

The former president of the Oxford Russian Society, Alex Kokcharov, had travelled up from London to hear the ambassador speak and said he wanted to ask Mr Kelin “uncomfortable questions”.

Mr Kokcharov said the ambassador did answer questions “diplomatically” but did not stray from the Kremlin’s “official narratives”.

He added: “We were presented with two separate narratives which clashed and people could decide for themselves what was factually correct.”

Mr Kokcharov said some who attended did openly express their support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine but the majority who were present were “quite combative”.

Oxford University has emphasised that they are not associated with the society.

An Oxford University spokesman said the institution’s position on the war in Ukraine was “clear” and he highlighted the invitation was “not by Oxford University or any of its registered student societies”.

Katie Degtiareva, an Oxford University student who fled Russia due to fears for her safety, said she “hated” that many would hear about her homeland through this person.

Ms Degtiareva said it was unlikely that she would be able to return to Russia, as it would be “too dangerous to go back” but her parents still live there.

The Oxford Russian Club and Russian embassy have been approached for comment.