Over 3,000 Russians arrested for protesting attack against Ukraine

More than 3,000 Russians have been arrested in cities around the country for protesting Russia’s attack against Ukraine. 

OVD-Info, a Russian protest monitoring organization, said in a post on Twitter Saturday afternoon that 3,093 people had been arrested in Russia for protesting the country’s invasion of Ukraine since it began overnight Wednesday.

On Thursday, the first day of the invasion, at least 1,967 Russians were arrested for protesting, per the organization..

The second day saw at least 634 people detained by authorities, OVD-Info reported. On Saturday, at least 492 were arrested for supporting Ukraine. 

The thousands of arrested protesters could face harsh legal repercussions, as the Russian government warned Thursday that protesting was illegal. 

“The law provides for severe punishment for organizing mass riots, as well as for resisting law enforcement officers. According to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, people who committed such illegal acts may face imprisonment,” The Investigative Committee of Russia  wrote. 

Protests have erupted in cities around the world opposing the invasion, which has been widely condemned by the international community and led the U.S. and its allies to impose multiple rounds of sanctions against Russia.