Russian citizens are continuing to express opposition to the prospect of joining Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine after the authoritarian ruler unveiled mobilization — meaning draft — plans that could result in some 300,000 or more additional Russians participating in the conflict.
Now, Russian government offices in several locales inside the country were again set on fire, according to information originating locally, which could sometimes be skewed. In the Russian city Nizhny Novgorod, an office for Russian military recruitment and enlistment was hit with what locally available details indicated was a Molotov cocktail hurled through an office window. In another incident, an enlistment center in a portion of St. Petersburg was partly set on fire in an act local authorities suspected of originating inside the building, suggesting someone with access or who obtained access to the inside was behind the fire. That blaze was captured in photos available on social media, in which fire is visible right on the other side of a seemingly barred window, although the impacts were limited. In the Russian city Tolyatti, a local government building was hit with another Molotov cocktail.
That incident took place just before 4 a.m. local time, and the blaze — which impacted the building’s entrance — was reportedly put out within 20 minutes. A photo available of the aftermath of what happened depicts broken windows. Meanwhile, there was yet another scene reported in Gai, where a military enlistment center was set on fire, with at least some damage. Fires from arson at Russian military offices have previously taken place since the war in Ukraine began. The conflict, in which tens of thousands of Russian soldiers are reported to have died amid devastating impacts from the invasion on huge numbers of Ukrainians, has driven protests inside Russia since the start, although demonstrations lessened amid efforts by authorities to stop the expressions of opposition. Since the announcement of Putin’s mobilization plans, which according to the legal terms of the order have no formal limit on the number of soldiers who authorities are calling up, demonstrations have once again unfolded, with protest-related arrests reportedly past 1,300 just on Wednesday.
