After President Vladimir Putin authorised Russia’s first military draught since the Second World War, a rights group reported that security agents detained more than 1,300 protesters on Wednesday.
According to data gathered from 38 Russian towns by the protest monitoring group OVD-Info, 1,311 or more persons had been detained by late afternoon.
Photos from Saint Petersburg, Russia, police using batons against protesters were published on the OVD-Info Telegram channel. Several protesters may be seen being dragged away by the police in videos that have surfaced from Moscow.
At the Isakiivskiy Cathedral, a throng had assembled, and videos show police trying to control it behind barriers as they are yelled at to ‘no mobilisation.’
OVD-Info said that at least 502 were detained in Moscow and 524 in St Petersburg. Unsanctioned rallies are illegal under Russia’s anti-protest laws.
Irina Volk, a representative of the Russian interior ministry, claimed in a statement that police had suppressed attempts to organise what it called minor protests.
The Moscow prosecutor’s office issued a warning at the same time, stating that organising or taking part in protests might result in up to 15 years in prison. Since the start of the military involvement in Ukraine in February, this was the first comprehensive anti-war demonstration in Russia.
With costs for one-way tickets out of Russia soaring and selling out quickly on Wednesday after Putin ordered the immediate call-up of 300,000 reservists, many individuals are seeking to leave the country.
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