Russia arrests hundreds at anti-war protests amid escalations 

Hundreds of Russians have been arrested after rallying against the Kremlin’s decision to call up thousands of extra troops to fight in Ukraine. 

It is being reported that more than 1,300 people have been arrested, and the largest numbers of arrests were in St Petersburg and Moscow. 

Dozens were held in Irkutsk and other Siberian cities, and Yekaterinburg.

When Putin made the announcement, flights out of Russia sold out fast and pictures show long queues at border posts and on Google, “how to leave Russia” searches skyrocketed. 

Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilisation – meaning some 300,000 military reservists will be drafted to help bolster Russia’s forces after they lost ground recently. 

The move came following the announcement that Russia will hold snap referendums on whether it should join Russia. 

His latest TV announcement has been seen as an escalation in the war, as he stressed he would use “all available means” to protect Russia and implied it could involve nuclear weapons.