Santa Monica Observer - Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words

Several reports on Telegram, Twitter and other social media say that arrested Russian protestors are being arrested by police, then directly drafted into the Russian armed forces to go and fight in Ukraine.

Protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg drew thousands of marchers.

"My husband was detained on the Arbat, taken to the police department on Sokolina Gora, and there they issued a summons to the military registration and enlistment office for tomorrow. He signed it. There is a military commissar, "said Valeria.

"Protesters detained in Moscow tonight are reportedly getting drafted right at the police station," tweeted Evan Gershkovich.

"History will repeat itself. Remember tanks being outside the Moscow Parliament. Not for protection either." tweeted AR Dafbat.

Thousands protested in St. Petersburg and Moscow after Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin's speech Wednesday morning, announcing a partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists. The Russian military had resisted this move, which is believed to be very unpopular. He also said that Russia would soon conduct referenda to incorporate several formerly Ukrainian provinces into Russia, and he obliquely threatened Ukraine and the West with Nuclear weapons if they continued to resist him.