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Russian authorities have arrested 8,100 people at anti-war protests that have broken out across the country, according to a local source.
OVD-Info, an independent human rights project focused on political persecution in Russia, published the figure on Wednesday.
In Moscow, just under 4,000 people have been arrested while over 2,700 were arrested in Saint Petersburg. The other arrests come from an additional 124 cities, according to the report.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE: ZELENSKYY SAYS IT’S A ‘PITY’ US SUPPORT CAME ‘AFTER’ RUSSIAN WAR BEGAN: LIVE UPDATES
Vladimir President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine only eight months after TIME magazine billed President Biden as ready to take on the Russian leader.
(Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
The arrests come after Russia has increased its efforts at stifling any opposition to the government’s invasion of Ukraine, which has included blocking media outlets.
One anti-war activist in Russia, Tatyana Usmanova, asked Ukrainians for forgiveness after Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb. 24, saying “our confrontation with these [Ukrainian] forces is inevitable.”
“I want to ask Ukrainians for forgiveness. We didn’t vote for those who unleashed the war,” she said.
RUSSIAN CHILDREN AMONG THOUSANDS OF ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS DETAINED BY POLICE
A person is detained by police during an anti-war protest, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Moscow, Russia, February 24, 2022.
(Reuters/Denis Kaminev)
Human rights activist Marina Litvinovich called for mass protests last week during a Facebook video, stating that “We don’t support this war.”
“We, the Russian people, are against the war Putin has unleashed. We don’t support this war, it is being waged not on our behalf,” Litvinovich said. “I know that right now many of you feel desperation, helplessness, shame over Vladimir Putin’s attack on the friendly nation of Ukraine. But I urge you not to despair.”
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A person carries a banner during an anti-war protest, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Moscow, Russia February 24, 2022. The banner reads “No war. Freedom for political prisoners”.
(Reuters/Evgenia Novozhenina)
Litvinovich was arrested shortly after posting the video to Facebook.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report
