Russian anti-war protesters 'drafted into army' as videos emerge of families ripped apart by Putin's mobilisation

22 September 2022, 21:51 | Updated: 22 September 2022, 21:52

Russian anti-war protesters have been drafted into the military to fight Ukraine after Vladimir Putin's desperate mobilisation decree.

More than 1,300 people were arrested for demonstrating against the plan to call up 300,000 people – which the Kremlin said were reservists and people with relevant experience – in cities like Moscow and St Petersburg.

Monitoring groups say some have now been pressed into service while a 15-year jail term awaits those who refuse.

Human rights activist Maria Kuznetsova, from the OVD Info group, told CNN that protesters taken to at least four police stations in Moscow had been drafted into the military.

She said on Twitter: "I think that the main thing that Putin achieved by mobilization is for the world to see that Russians are against the war.

"Before Putin could use those who were doubting or too afraid to speak up. He could say they supported the war. Now it is obvious that most people do not."

Minors were among those beaten during protests, OVD Info claimed.

Meanwhile, footage of families saying their goodbyes as they're ripped apart by the new draft has emerged, with heartbroken relatives saying farewells to men who are due to be shipped off into bloody war that is turning against Russia.

Video said to have come from a small town called Yakutsk, in Siberia, shows men embracing crying loved ones before boarding a white bus, apparently to be drafted into military service.

One blows kisses from the bus while a crowd of people gathers outside to see them off.

Read more: Russians flee on one-way tickets to avoid being hauled to frontlines of Putin’s ‘meatgrinder’

Twitter user Gantcho Mantchorov sent LBC a screengrab of his chat with a friend in St Petersburg.

His friend said: "My friend's brother is getting mobilised today. He has never served in the army. Completely random.

"They are grabbing whomever they can. IT graduates with PhDs are no exceptions. There will be ocean of blood."

Asked if he can escape, the response is: "15 years in prison. Prison sounds like a better trade."

Questions over how 300,000 people will be sufficiently trained and equipped, given Russian supply issues, means their initial effectiveness in the war will be dubious.

It appears to be a desperate move from Putin, who has seen his military cave in to a rapid Ukrainian counter attack which has liberated swathes of territory from the occupiers.

Ukrainian estimates put Russian losses at around 55,000 men, while Russia has only recently admitted to 6,000.

Several men have tried to dodge being thrown onto the frontlines by fleeing the country.

Read more: 'Months of suffering is over': Five Brits captured by pro-Russian fighters in Ukraine released

Reports have emerged of massive queues at the border, with some even trying to flee to central Asian states like Kazakhstan or escape over to Mongolia.

Plane ticket prices jumped into the thousands for a one way trip to Istanbul or Dubai, with Europe having closed its skies to Russian aircraft, while Ukraine has called for nations to block visas for Russians.

Flights comparison site Flightsfinder.com found shortly before 8pm there were no flights available to Moscow from Istanbul on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, and just one flight available on Sunday.

There were just two flights with space to Dubai in that same amount of time.