Hundreds of people arrested by protests in Russia

Arrested

Hundreds of people have been arrested by authorities as protests against Russia’s new “partial mobilization” continue across the country, an independent human rights group has said.

OVD-Info said 724 people were arrested in 32 different cities on Saturday.

Widespread protests have erupted since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to mobilize 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine.

Putin’s decision to draft civilians into the army has sparked large-scale protests in urban areas, with more than 1,000 people arrested in demonstrations earlier this week.

In Moscow, a protester was heard shouting “we are not cannon fodder” as she was arrested by officers.

In Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second city, a man told reporters: “I don’t want to go to war for Putin.”