Russian politicians who voted to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk now say they regret their decision and have condemned it. Vladimir Putinthe invasion.
Dissent against the war is growing not only on the streets Russiawith thousands arrested during protests, but also in parliament, where dissent against the leader is rare.
Three members of the Communist Party, which usually remains loyal to Putin on key issues, have spoken out against the war, saying they do not realize what they are voting for.
Vyacheslav Markhaev, a senator from Siberia, writes further Facebook that Putin “hid plans to start a full-scale war with our closest neighbor.”
His remarks were followed by two of his party members who condemned the invasion.
Vyacheslav Markhaev, a senator from Siberia, said he did not realize that Vladimir Putin would launch an invasion
Oleg Smolen said he was “shocked” by the invasion, saying military force should only be used as a last resort
Mikhail Matveev of Samara also called for an end to the war, saying he was “voting for peace, not war”
Oleg Smolen said he was “shocked” by the invasion, saying: “As a Russian intellectual, I am convinced that military force should be used in politics only as a last resort.
“I could not vote for the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics without surrendering myself.”
Mikhail Matveev of Samara also called for an end to the war, saying in an already deleted tweet: “I voted for peace, not war. “Russia should become a shield so that Donbass is not bombed, and Kyiv should not be bombed.”
Markhayev said members of the Russian Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, were unaware that the vote would lead to a full-scale invasion.
He wrote: “It is sad to watch what is happening around Ukraine and it hurts the soul to imagine where our world and the contribution of the whole world can go.
“We needed the recognition of the independence of the Republic of DPR and LPR to protect them from complete extinction. It was thought that this could develop as an opportunity to continue negotiations and find new compromises to resolve all sharp angles.
Markhaev said members of the Russian Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, did not know that the vote would lead to a full-scale invasion
“To my great regret, the whole Campaign for the recognition of DNR and LNR had a completely different idea and plan, which was initially hidden and as a result we were in a state of full-scale confrontation and war between the two. countries.
“It is very painful to lose colleagues, colleagues, ordinary young and promising boys. It is very painful to look into the eyes of parents, children and their relatives. ‘
He continued: “I condemn the unjustified strategy of the West, their policy of double standards, the pursuit of their own interests by changing the rule of law in countries that do not suit them, the conquest of new territories under false slogans to protect democracy.
“I also condemn the Russian leadership, which has started using the same methods of double standards. Under the auspices of the recognition of DNR and LNR, we have hidden plans to start a full-scale war with our closest neighbor. “
Many have been detained, according to local media, and one woman lost consciousness during the arrest, Nova Gazeta reports.
The human rights group OVD-Info, which monitors political arrests, has already reported 6,440 detainees in anti-war demonstrations in the country since February 24.
The online petition to end the war, which began shortly after the invasion was announced on Thursday, garnered more than 1 million signatures, making it the most supported online petition in Russia in recent years.
Since the first day of Thursday’s attack, Russians in Moscow, St. Petersburg and dozens of other cities have taken to the streets to protest – only to be quickly and often brutally detained by police.
On Monday, the human rights group OVD-Info, which monitors political arrests, counted at least 350 detained protesters in 13 Russian cities.
More than 6,000 people have been detained in the last five days of protests, according to ATS-Info.
Telegram videos show protesters sitting on the floor, applauding and chanting “no to war”, while others show police taking protesters away
In an attempt to stifle critical voices, Russian authorities have restricted access to Facebook, which has played an important role in fueling dissent. Internet users also report problems accessing Twitter.
Russian officials have also pressured the media to cover the invasion in strict accordance with the official line, and have complained about reports describing Russia’s attack on Ukraine as an “invasion” or a “war” as false.
The website of Current Time, a Russian television channel launched by US-funded Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty that criticizes the Kremlin, became unavailable on Sunday after the channel announced it had received a notification from the authorities.
“I have two sons and I do not want to give them to this bloody monster,” 48-year-old Dmitry Maltsev, who joined the rally in St. Petersburg, told the Associated Press. “War is a tragedy for all of us.”
Protests also took place in Belarus, where more than 500 people were detained on Sunday, according to the country’s most prominent human rights group.
The Viasna human rights center said demonstrations had taken place in at least 12 cities, including Minsk, the capital. Protesters placed flowers on a growing pile in front of the Ukrainian embassy.