Day 214: Russian Protests Against Mobilization Continue

Facts

• More than 2k people in Russia have been detained during protests against Pres. Putin’s orders earlier this week to enlist 300k men to fight in Ukraine, including nearly 800 arrests over the weekend.
• Thousands more are reportedly fleeing across the border to avoid the Kremlin’s partial mobilization order. Long lines were reported at the Mongolian-Russian border where a border official says 3k Russian passport holders have crossed since Wednesday. Likewise, crossings at other borders like Kazakhstan and Georgia had day-long waits over the weekend.
• Meanwhile, Russian-backed referenda continue in four occupied Ukrainian regions about whether or not to join Russia. Western officials have denounced them as a “sham” amid reports of soldiers coercing voters while Russia says the show of force is a security measure. The referenda could result in annexation of Ukrainian territory larger than the size of Portugal.
• On Sunday, Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine has received air defence missiles from the US and requested further support from the international community to protect Ukrainian citizens.
• This comes as, earlier Sunday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the US would act ‘decisively’ if Russia uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine and warned of catastrophic consequences.

Sources: BBC News, CNN, New York Times, The Guardian, and Reuters.

Narratives

• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by UN News. Russia had no choice but to launch a specialized military operation to protect Russians living in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and eliminate threats to Russian security caused by NATO breaking its promise not to expand eastward. Conscription is part of that — Russian citizens must fulfill their duty to protect their country and fellow civilians. And this weekend’s referenda? The results will speak for themselves about whether or not the regions wish to join Russia.
• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Wavell Room. The referenda being held in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, with voting overseen by masked soldiers, are a brazen exercise in propaganda and force. Illegally annexing these areas will only escalate the conflict and cause more hardship for those who live there. Forcing more Russians into the war effort through badly executed conscription and arresting those who refuse will do little to garner support for the Kremlin’s objectives.