Hundreds of people have been arrested in Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilisation of reservists on Wednesday.
Putin’s move is a risky and deeply unpopular step that follows humiliating setbacks for his troops nearly seven months after invading Ukraine.
The first such call-up in Russia since World War II is sure to further fuel tensions with the Western backers of Ukraine, who derided it as an act of weakness and desperation. The move also sent some Russians scrambling to buy plane tickets out of the country and reportedly sparked some demonstrations.
Shortly after Putin’s address, Russian media reported a spike in demand for plane tickets abroad amid an apparent scramble to leave despite exorbitant prices.
Within hours, police arrested scores of people at antiwar protests across Russia, including at least a dozen in Moscow. An Associated Press crew in Moscow witnessed at least dozen of arrests in the first 15 minutes of a protest.
Read the latest: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/09/21/ukraine-news-russia-war-putin-counter-offensive-mobilisation/
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