Ukraine war: Putin’s military call-up triggers protests as Russians seek ways out
- Vladimir Putin’s order to send reservists to Ukraine sparked protests and hundreds of arrests in Russia
- Large numbers of Russians rushed to book one-way tickets out of the country while they still could
02:07
'I don’t want to die for Putin': Russia arrests nearly 1,400 protesters opposed to mobilisation
Russia pushed ahead on Thursday with its biggest conscription since World War II while Ukraine demanded “just punishment” for a seven-month-old invasion sending shock waves around the world.
President Vladimir Putin’s order to mobilise another 300,000 Russians to fight signalled a major escalation of a war that has already killed thousands, displaced millions, pulverised cities, damaged the global economy and revived Cold War confrontation.
The conscription campaign may be the riskiest domestic move of Putin’s two decades in power, after Kremlin promises that it would not happen and a string of battlefield failures in Ukraine.
Monitoring group OVD-Info said nearly 1,400 people in 38 Russian cities were detained in anti-war protests on Wednesday. They were the first nationwide anti-war protests since the fighting began in late February.
Independent news outlets said some of those arrested were served summons to report to military enlistment offices on Thursday, the first full day of conscription.
On the Moscow metro, men could be seen studying call-up papers.