Since Vladimir Putin decreed and announced on Wednesday a “partial mobilization” to reinforce the ranks of the Russian army in Ukraine, demonstrations have broken out in several places in the country. This Sunday, it was in Dagestan, a Russian republic located on the edge of the Caspian Sea, that protests broke out.
Dozens of people notably invaded the streets of the village of Endirey, where the police were also present in large numbers. In this village, according to local media, 110 men were called to fight in Ukraine. Clashes also took place in the capital of Dagestan, Makhachkala. Videos shared on social media show clashes between authorities and protesters, and in some of them, gunshots can be heard. According to residents and local media, the police fired in the air in an attempt to disperse the protesters.
Since the start of the war, Dagestan (3 million inhabitants) has acted as a “reservoir” for Russian troops, since this republic, where mainly Muslims live, is the first supplier of men to Putin’s army.