Mon 26 September 2022:
The level of opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s decision to send hundreds of thousands more men to fight in Ukraine was highlighted by police clashes with protesters on Sunday in the southern Russian region of Dagestan, Reuters reported.
Russia’s first military mobilisation since World War Two, announced by Putin on Wednesday, has triggered protests in dozens of cities across the country. Public anger has appeared to be particularly strong in poor ethnic minority regions like Dagestan, a Muslim-majority region located on the shores of the Caspian Sea in the mountainous north Caucasus.
Dozens of videos posted on social media showed confrontations with police in the regional capital of Makhachkala on Sunday as protesters shouted “no to war”.
One video showed a group of women chasing away a police officer, while several clips showed violent clashes, including police sitting on protesters, as police attempted to make detentions.
Reuters was unable to verify the footage, which was shared widely across Russian social media and by independent media outlets. Reuters was unable to reach police in Dagestan.
Arson attacks were reported at army recruitment offices in 16 Russian regions in the days following Putin’s announcement on Wednesday — nearly as many incidents as in the war’s first six months.
More than 2,240 people have been arrested for protesting against the mobilisation decree, according to rights monitor OVD-Info.
Thousands of Russians have attempted to flee the country amid unconfirmed reports from independent outlets that the Kremlin is considering closing the borders for draft-eligible men.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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