Over 1,200 Arrested in Protests, Flights Sold Out
Putin: "Will Not Succumb to Extortion and Threats"
"Strategy Shift from Invasion to Defensive War in Ukraine"
On the 21st (local time), police in downtown Moscow, Russia, arrested and detained protesters opposing the partial mobilization order. Immediately after the mobilization order was announced, anti-war protests occurred in 38 major cities across Russia, with over 1,200 people arrested and detained by the police. Moscow, Russia = AP & Yonhap News Photo by AP & Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Protests against the partial mobilization order have erupted across Russia, resulting in the arrest of more than 1,200 people. Citizens rushing to leave the country have caused a surge in demand, leading to the complete sell-out of airline tickets and increasing confusion. Despite this situation, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his determination to continue the war and pressured the West. Experts warn that if the scope of the mobilization order expands, it could lead to significant casualties.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 21st (local time), the Russian human rights monitoring group OVD-Info reported that large-scale protests against the partial mobilization order occurred in 38 cities across Russia on that day. Russian police have reportedly arrested and detained 1,252 protesters so far.
Earlier that day, President Putin declared the partial mobilization order in a nationwide address broadcast on state television. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that under this mobilization order, only 300,000 male reservists aged 18 to 27 out of a total of 25 million eligible individuals would be mobilized.
Immediately after the announcement of the mobilization order, anti-mobilization protests broke out across Russia, led mainly by the youth democratic movement group ‘Vesna’. Protesters emphasized, "There is no need to die for Putin," and "To the authorities, you are nothing but meaningless cannon fodder." The protests were mainly attended by young male reservists who were subject to conscription.
As Russian citizens sought to avoid wartime mobilization by fleeing abroad en masse, major flights were sold out. According to the Associated Press, flights from Russia to T?rkiye were already sold out hours before the mobilization order announcement, lasting through the weekend. Not only T?rkiye but also flights to Istanbul, Dubai, Armenia, and most other international destinations were sold out. These flights will be unavailable for at least the next 3 to 4 days.
Airfare prices also surged. Tickets from Moscow to Istanbul rose from 80,000 rubles (approximately 1.84 million KRW) to 173,000 rubles (approximately 3.98 million KRW), with most international flight prices more than doubling.
Despite this turmoil, President Putin once again emphasized his determination to continue the war. According to TASS news agency, at the 1,160th anniversary celebration of the founding of Russia held in Veliky Novgorod, Putin stated, "We will not succumb to intimidation and threats, nor will we ever betray or lose our sovereignty," and pressured Western countries by saying, "If Russian territory is threatened, Russia will immediately mobilize all available means to protect national interests and the safety of its people."
Experts express concern that the expansion of the mobilization order could lead to increased casualties. Samuel Charap, senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, said, "The partial mobilization order is a strategy to shift the Ukraine war from an invasion war to a defensive war," and predicted, "If the situation worsens and Ukraine recovers territory, there is a possibility that a declaration of war and a full wartime mobilization order will be issued."
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