Putin’s war on Ukraine is unpopular in Russia. Expectedly, Russian authorities are cracking down on any anti-Ukraine war protesters. This information is published by Human Rights Watch. Here is an excerpt:

Police arbitrarily detained hundreds of peaceful protesters across Russia on February 24, 2022, at rallies in solidarity with Ukraine and against the war, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities also arrested at least two human rights defenders who spoke up against Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine, threatened to block mass media outlets in case their reporting on the war differed from the official narrative, and demanded that foreign social media platforms stop restricting reports from Russian state media.   

In the early morning of February 24, President Vladimir Putin announced military operations against Ukraine in a public address to the nation, and soon after the broadcast of his speech, Russian armed forces began air and ground attacks on multiple military installations across Ukraine. As hostilities have continued there have been credible reports of use of cluster munitions by Russian forces causing civilian fatalities and injuries, and damage to civilian objects such as schools and hospitals.

“For years, Russian authorities have been suppressing free speech and peaceful protests to stifle critical voices,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Now the government is silencing all those who speak out against the war with Ukraine.”  

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