Civic protests have been staged across Russia in response to the country's partial mobilization program. This comes as some reservists have already begun to receive their call-up papers.

President Vladimir Putin announced the mobilization plan last Wednesday. He made the move as Ukrainian forces continued their counterattacks against Russian forces in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. Those assaults began early this month.

Protests were reported on Saturday in the capital, Moscow, and in Saint Petersburg, the nation's second largest city. Demonstrations were apparently held in Siberia and other regions across the country as well.

Many people were detained by the security forces.
A Russian human rights group says more than 740 individuals had been arrested in at least 32 cities by about 9:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The group says call-up papers were given to some of the detainees.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was questioned about the legality of such a move. He responded that the action is totally legal.

Independent Russian media outlets have reported that about one million people could be mobilized. That is far more than the 300,000 people the Defense Ministry announced it would round up. The media outlets say the authorities could even call up individuals, who are normally excluded from a draft, such as elderly citizens and students.

Independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on Saturday that the entire male population of a village in Siberia's Kemerovo region was called up.