Members of Russian activist rock band Pussy Riot who interrupted the FIFA World Cup final between France and Croatia wearing fake police uniforms have been jailed for 15 days by a Moscow Court.

Four members of the punk band invaded the pitch early in the second half at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials from around the world.

The judge also banned the four from attending sports events for three years.

The four were Veronika Nikulshina, Olga Pakhtusova, Olga Kurachyova and Pyotr Verzilov, the only male.

Kurachyova said their stunt, which held up the game only briefly, was meant to promote freedom of speech and condemn policies of FIFA.

Verzilov said the performance was also meant to show how “the state, in the form of the police, intrudes into people’s lives”.

The male protagonist made a beeline for Croatian defender Dejan Lovren and appeared to be hoping to receive a high-five, but instead found himself thrown to the floor by the Liverpool player.

Lovren told reporters the incident had interrupted the game at an important moment for his team.

Meanwhile, a female pitch-invader reached Kylian Mbappe in the centre of the pitch and shared a double high five with the France forward.

The four protesters, all of whom were dressed as security personnel, were then dragged off the field by stewards and police.

The match, which France won 4-2, was watched from the stands by Putin and the French and Croatian presidents.