The day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization to bolster his troops in Ukraine on Wednesday, videos circulated on social media showing dramatic scenes of weeping families greeting men leaving the mobilization centers, he said. the AP.
Video from the eastern Siberian city of Neryungri shows men leaving a stadium. Before getting on the buses, the men hug their relatives who are waiting for them outside. Many cry and some cover their mouths with their hands in an expression of pain. A man holds a child by the window of a bus to take a last look at the departing bus.
In Moscow, women cried, hugged and met men in another mobilization center. A father hugs his 25-year-old son on leave and tells him: “Take care of yourself”.
The young man, who introduced himself as Dmitri, told “Ostrozhno Novosti” media in “Telegram” that he did not expect to be called and mobilized so quickly, especially since he is a student. According to him, that morning he received the summons to show up at the center at 15 and after waiting an hour and a half he was told that he would leave immediately with the rest of the mobilization. Then he went out to greet his relatives and friends, AP reported.
The announced partial mobilization led to impromptu protests in Russia in which at least 1,332 people were arrested on Wednesday, AFP reported.
According to the Russian human rights organization OVD-Info, at least 538 people have been detained in Moscow alone and 479 in St. Petersburg.
There have been cases of beating of protesters in both cities. In 15 police stations in Moscow, detained men were summoned for mobilization.
The Kremlin spokesman defended his son for his refusal to mobilize
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had to defend his son Nikolay, who was reprimanded for refusing to be drafted.
Peskov’s reaction was in response to the publication of a video recording of a telephone conversation, which caused controversy on the Internet and related to Nikolay Peskov, France Press reported.
In the video of that phone call, a blogger calls Peskov’s son and poses as a soldier who recruits reservists mobilized for the Russian offensive in Ukraine after the publication of the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“You have been sent a summons today”says blogger Dmitry Nizovtsev, who hosts the People’s Politics YouTube channel, created in support of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“There’s a number on the call center to call again tomorrow at 10am. You need to report to a reservist center.”says the blogger with a firm tone, not knowing that he is joking.
32-year-old Nikolay Peskov looks briefly confused before stating: “Obviously I won’t come at 10 tomorrowGood morning”, implying that he would not allow himself to be drafted into the army.
“You have to understand, as soon as you know that I am Mr. Peskov, that it is not quite right that I am there. I will solve the matter on another level.”says young Peskov. He doesn’t explain what this other level is, but it clearly suggests that he will talk to his father.
“I have no problem defending the country. But first I have to find out what can be done as far as I’m concerned”adds Peskov Jr.
This video immediately went viral on the Internet, and reporters asked Dmitry Peskov to explain his son’s reaction.
He said he was aware of what had happened, he knew about the conversation, but added that the full version of that phone conversation with his son had not been released.
Dmitry Peskov does not respond if his son is sent to the front line.
Zelensky: Personalthat army of Russia disintegrated
The mobilization in Russia is a recognition that its army of cadres, which “for decades was prepared for the seizure of foreign lands, did not last and fell apart”. This was stated by Volodymyr Zelensky in his speech tonight, as quoted by Ukrinform.
In it, the Ukrainian president, as he often does, expresses his gratitude to all Ukrainian men and women who defend the independence of their country.
In his words, Ukraine has managed to change the course of the war so that “every occupier, even the most inadequate, can feel that we can win and we are moving towards victory”.
He stressed that whatever the decisions of the Russian leadership, nothing changes for Ukraine: liberating the country, protecting the people and mobilizing the world community to carry out these tasks.
Zelensky also thanked Ukraine’s European allies, from Iceland to Romania, as well as the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Turkey and many others.
At the end of his speech in Ukrainian, the president switched to Russian to explain what was happening.
He started with protests in Russia against the mobilization and asked “why, for example, Dagestan or anyone else should die” in the Kharkiv region or near Donetsk.
Zelensky replies that this was decided by “a person in Russia on behalf of all Russian citizens”.
“You are already complicit in these crimes, murders and tortures of Ukrainians. Because you were silent. Why are you silent”it is aimed at the Russians.
And he tells them that now is the time for them to choose – whether men die or live, be maimed or keep their health, and women lose their husbands, children and grandchildren forever, or try to protect them from destruction. .
In the words of the Ukrainian president so far 55 000 Russian soldiers died in this war in six months and tens of thousands were injured.
Zelensky again turned to Russian citizens: “Do you want more? No? Then protest. Fightrun awayor surrender to Ukrainian captivity. “
Volodymyr Zelensky concluded his speech tonight with the usual exclamation: “Glory to Ukraine!”.
Germany will accept the Russian deserters
Meanwhile, Germany has announced that it is ready to welcome deserters who risk serious reprisals from the Russian army, world agencies reported, referring to the German Interior Minister, Nancy Feser, before the publication “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, writes BTA.
“Those who courageously oppose Putin and therefore put themselves in great danger can seek political asylum in Germany”.Feser said.
German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann also released a similar statement on Twitter.
“Anyone who hates Putin’s path and loves liberal democracy is welcome to Germany”the liberal minister wrote Wednesday.
However, obtaining political asylum is not an automatic process. These are individual decisions related to security checks, the Interior Minister recalled.
For several months, Germany has welcomed 438 opponents of the Kremlin who are in danger or persecuted by the Russian authorities, Fezer pointed out. He made it clear that among them there are journalists in particular.
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