Residents of Russia’s Dagestan barricade federal highway while protesting against mobilisation

Residents of the Babayurt district in Russia’s Dagestan have taken to the streets to protest the partial mobilisation declared in Russia, Ask Rasul Telegram channel reports.

“Unrest in the Babayurt district over the mobilisation. People are protesting. They have barricaded a federal highway,” the Telegram channel writes.

Video footage showing traffic jams on the highway was published on social media. It is reported that the road has been blocked.

Earlier today, a video supposedly shot near a conscription office in Babayurt was published on social media. The video shows a woman yelling at the men gathered in front of the conscription office: “My granddad fought for his homeland!” The men answered: “We fought in 1941-1945, it was a war, and right now, it’s not a war, it’s politics.”

On 21 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of troops in Russia. According to the presidential order, those who previously served in the Armed Forces, have certain military occupational specialties and the corresponding experience are eligible for mobilisation. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that a total of 300,000 reservists would be drafted.

Since the announcement of mobilisation in Russia, military commissars of Russia’s Tatarstan, Dagestan, and the Samara region have signed orders banning the citizens in reserve from leaving their cities.