1,200 Protesters Detained Across Russia After Putin’s Partial Military Draft, Human Rights Group Says

Topline

More than 1,200 protesters were arrested in 38 cities across Russia on Wednesday, according to independent Russian human rights organization OVD-Info, as people took to the streets to protest Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to draft 300,000 military reservists as the country suffers major setbacks in its invasion of Ukraine.

Key Facts

At least 510 people were detained in St. Petersburg, while 468 were arrested in the capital city of Moscow as of 10 p.m. local time, OVD-Info said.

Videos on social media showed crowds of people gathered in Moscow and other cities around the country to protest the partial mobilization, while others scrambled to purchase one-way plane tickets to leave the country.

The protests marked one of the biggest country-wide demonstrations since the war in Ukraine began in late February, when more than 2,000 people were detained for denouncing the Kremlin’s decision to invade Ukraine.

Big Number

16,437. That’s how many people have been detained for expressing anti-war sentiments since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, according to OVD-Info.

Key Background

Putin’s decision to order a partial mobilization of reservists—the first time the country has done so since World War II—comes as the Kremlin struggles to recruit new troops and as Russia suffers losses on the battlefield, with Ukraine reclaiming control of the entire eastern Ukrainian Kharkiv region last week. Officials have said as many as 300,000 reservists could be called, though a lack of details on the announcement raised concerns the effort could be widened. In a pre-recorded televised speech Wednesday morning, Putin also made a veiled threat that he could resort to nuclear escalation, saying Russia was ready to use all means necessary to defend the country’s territorial integrity. The Russian government has imposed strict limits on organized protests and dissent for years, but in recent months, Putin has increasingly moved to clamp down on those who speak out against the war in Ukraine, passing a law shortly after the invasion began making it a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison to spread “false news” about the Russian military. Several major Russian opposition activists have been arrested for publicly criticizing the Kremlin this year, including opposition politician Ilya Yashin and his colleague Vladimir Kara-Murza as well as a Russian state television journalist who made headlines in March when she protested the war during a live broadcast.

Further Reading

Over 1,000 Russians detained in protests against partial military mobilization (Axios)

Putin orders partial military call-up, sparking protests (Associated Press)