Environmental activist, the leader of "Defend the Khimki forest" Evgeniya Chirikova has officially become a candidate for mayor's post in the Moscow region city of Khimki, Interfax news agency reported via the head of Moscow regiona election commission Irek Vildanov.

"Chirikova has been registered as a mayoral candidate," Vildanov said to Interfax.

Chirikova has become the fourth registered candidate for the post.

Yevgenia Chirikova is famous for struggling against building the Moscow-Saint Petersburg highway which would have resulted in the cutting down of the Khimki forest. The ecologist, along with her supporters, has conducted numerous protest demonstrations against cutting the forest down, several of which ended up with detentions and beatings by police officers.

Chirikova announced plans to run for Khimki's mayoral post after the former mayor, Vladimir Strelchenko, voluntarily resigned on August 14.