'Hundreds detained' as Putin's troop conscription order ignites protests

More than 1,300 people have been arrested at demonstrations across Russia against President Vladimir Putin's order of troop conscription, a police monitoring group has said.

The OVD-Info monitoring group counted at least 1,332 people detained at rallies in 38 different cities across the country after Putin's morning address to the nation on Wednesday.

In a country that counts millions of former conscripts as reservists, Putin's "partial mobilisation" decree gave no clue as to who would be called up. Defence Secretary Sergei Shoigu said 300,000 people would be mobilised from a pool of 25 million. Contracts of professional troops would be extended indefinitely.

The protests were the largest in Russia since demonstrations that broke out following the announcement of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine in February.

The AFP news agency journalists in the centre of the Russian capital Moscow said at least 50 people were detained by police wearing anti-riot gear on the main shopping street.

In Russia's former imperial capital, Saint Petersburg, AFP reporters saw police surround a small group of protesters and detain them one-by-one, loading them onto a bus.

Protesters were chanting "No mobilisation!"

"Everyone is scared. I am for peace and I don't want to have to shoot. But coming out now is very dangerous, otherwise, there would be many more people," said protester Vasily Fedorov, a student wearing a pacifist symbol on his chest.

"I came out to the rally planning to participate, but it looks like they've already arrested everyone. This regime has condemned itself and is destroying its youth," said Alexei, a 60-year-old resident who declined to give his last name.

"I came to say that I am against war and mobilisation," Oksana Sidorenko, a student, told the AFP.

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Russia says 'unauthorised gatherings' busted

Alina Skvortsova, 20, said she hoped Russians would soon understand the nature of the Kremlin's offensive in neighbouring Ukraine.

"As soon as they really understand, they will come out onto the street, despite the fear," she said.

The Interfax news agency quoted the Russian Interior Ministry as saying it had quashed attempts to "organise unauthorised gatherings".

All the demonstrations were stopped and those who committed "violations" were arrested and led away by police pending an investigation and prosecution, it added.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday that Russia would initially mobilise some 300,000 reservists, after Putin in a televised address warned Moscow would use all available military means in Ukraine, declaring: "It's not a bluff".

Flights out of Russia were nearly fully booked this week, airline and travel agent data showed on Wednesday, in an apparent exodus of people unwilling to join the conflict.

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