leaving country against Putin’s decision

Moscow

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has completed 7 months and for the first time in this war, Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing the anger of the people in his country. Behind this is his decision to send 300000 reserve soldiers to the war.

Putin was trying to give new strength to the weakening army in Ukraine by doing this, but in protest against this, demonstrations started in many areas of Russia. Recruitment centres have been attacked. A Russian man opened fire on a centre in Siberia. The commander of the centre was injured due to this.

Hours later, a man hit the car at the gate of another recruitment centre. Then set him on fire. There have been clashes between the protesters and the police at many places. People are ready to leave the country and be arrested but do not want to join the army.

Most of the opposition to Putin’s decision is taking place in the Muslim-majority Dagestan province. Tension has been brewing in this mountainous region since 1990.

The Muslims here follow Sufi Islam. They did not conduct an armed rebellion like the Muslims of Chechnya, but the anti-government sentiment is presented in them. The demonstrations against recruitment in the army have further inflamed it. He says that after the decision of army recruitment, he is being targeted.

Videos are coming to Russia’s social media, in which women and youth of Dagestan are fighting with the police. Police are taking action against the protesters.

According to media reports, after the demonstration in Dagestan’s capital Makhachkala, 10 FIRs were registered and more than a hundred people were detained. Most of them are young people who do not want to fight against Ukraine.

Russia’s army includes a large number of soldiers from the Caucus region, especially from Dagestan. Now the coffins returning here have changed the atmosphere. Most soldiers have been killed in the war with Ukraine from the Caucus region.

According to Russia’s independent media organization Mediazona, 306 soldiers have been confirmed dead in Dagestan. Against this, women have come out on the streets and are raising the slogan ‘Don’t snatch our sons from us’.

International affairs expert and defence expert Faran Jafri says – Putin should be worried about the demonstrations in areas like Dagestan against army recruitment. Dagestan has already become the cause of many problems for Russia.

These demonstrations and people fleeing the country show that a large number of people in Russia are not ready to fight for Putin. They are even ready to leave the country and be arrested to avoid going to the front.

Putin announced the operation in Ukraine, and then the people of Russia supported it. The soldiers of Dagestan also went to fight. Now the opinion of the people is changing due to the loss in the war.

Faran Jaffrey says – People were not vocal against the war earlier because the fire had started elsewhere. Now its flames are reaching their own towns and homes. Suddenly the fever of nationalism turned into panic as people are faced with the fact that they too may have to take up guns in war.

Those who are now fleeing Russia are not necessarily opposed to war. They just don’t want to fight in this war. There are many of these people who are still supporters of Putin and hate Ukraine. They simply do not want to risk their lives for Putin.

Russia says about 6,000 (5,937) soldiers have been killed in the war with Ukraine as of September 25. Experts watching the war from the beginning believe that this number could be much higher. Mediajona also confirmed the casualties of 6,756 Russian soldiers.

It is clear that the war in Ukraine is not going according to Putin’s plan and his army is suffering. What is worrying for Putin is that the heat of war has reached his country.

There have also been reports from the war front in a week, which are not good for Putin. In two weeks, the Ukrainian army has liberated more than 8,000 square kilometres of territory from Russian occupation.

The atmosphere and public opinion about the war in Russia are changing. So far, Russians who have been openly supporting Putin are hesitant after being called to fight in the war.

A Moscow expert, who did not reveal his name, said – Protest against military recruitment includes those who had not openly opposed the war before. Now they feel that this war is going to affect them too.

Plan to merge 4 Ukrainian territories into Russia in the name of a referendum

Russia has held referendums in four areas of Ukraine that have so far been occupied. These areas are – Donetsk, and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine ie Donbas and Kherson and Zaporizhia in the south. A referendum was held here from 23 to 27 September.

Some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk have been occupied by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. In this year’s war, Russia has extended this occupation further. At the same time, Russian forces were on Kherson at the beginning of the war and the city of Zaporizhia was occupied last month.