Nationwide Mobilization Order Protests in Russia, Over 1,200 Arrested: "No Need to Die for Putin"

Young Men Subject to Conscription Lead Protests
300,000 Drafted Out of 2 Million Reservists... College Students Excluded

On the 21st (local time), a protester opposing the partial mobilization order announced by President Vladimir Putin was being arrested by police in downtown Moscow, Russia. Over 1,200 people were arrested and detained in protests across Russia. Moscow (Russia) = EPA·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Protests opposing the partial mobilization order announced by President Vladimir Putin have erupted across Russia, with more than 1,200 people reportedly arrested by the police so far. As over 300,000 reservists are expected to be conscripted under this mobilization order, resistance among Russian citizens is anticipated to intensify.

On the 21st (local time), according to The New York Times (NYT), the Russian human rights monitoring group OVD-Info reported that large-scale protests against the partial mobilization order took place in 38 cities across Russia. Russian police have arrested and detained 1,252 protesters to date. Earlier that day, President Putin announced the implementation of the partial mobilization order in a televised address to the nation, which was immediately followed by protests across the country.

The protests were led primarily by young people, including the Russian youth democratic movement group 'Vesna'. They appealed to the Russian military and reservists to refuse participation in the war in Ukraine and called for nationwide demonstrations against the mobilization order. The scale of the protests grew as many young reservist men subject to conscription joined the demonstrations.

The protesters emphasized, "There is no need to die for Putin. You are needed by those who love you in Russia," and added, "To the authorities, you are nothing but meaningless cannon fodder."

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated in a press release that 300,000 reservists aged 18 to 27 who have completed one year of mandatory military service are subject to conscription. University students were excluded from this mobilization order. The total number of reservists in Russia is estimated to be about 2 million.

Despite these protests, the Putin regime is enforcing the mobilization order, and resistance demonstrations are expected to grow. On the same day, the Russian State Duma passed an amendment to the military service law allowing for a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for violations of military duty such as desertion or evasion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.