Despite the arrests of hundreds of protesters every day, Russian anti-war activists continued to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from Moscow to Siberia Sunday.
Thousands protesters held pickets and marched through the streets chanting “No to war!” in city centers as President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s nuclear deterrent to be put on high alert, escalating a standoff with the West and stoking fears of a nuclear conflict.
As Russian police have taken swift action to crack down on protests and detain protesters, protests against the invasion began Thursday in Russia and have continued ever since.
Sunday’s protests lacked the intensity of those on Thursday, the first day of Russia’s attacks in Ukraine, when thousands of protestors rallied in Moscow and St. Petersburg. However, it was difficult to determine their true scale.
Despite St. Petersburg’s peaceful demonstration, where dozens were gathered in the city center, police in full riot gear were taking protesters away and dragged some into police vans despite the demonstration being peaceful and no violence occurring.
At least 356 Russians were arrested in 32 cities over anti-war protests on Sunday afternoon, according to OVD-Info, a rights organization that tracks political arrests in Russia.
