Over five days of anti-war protests In Russia, 6,500 detained - rights activists

At least 6,474 people have already been detained during anti-war rallies that swept across Russia after Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the OVD-Info human rights watchdog.

On Monday, 487 people were detained in 14 cities across the country. Most of them were arrested in Moscow (274) and in St. Petersburg (188). On the previous day, 2,802 people were detained in 56 cities.

As reported earlier, on February 24, Russia’s Investigative Committee warned citizens of criminal liability for participating in anti-war rallies. But such manifestations are still being held in many cities of Russia. The Prosecutor General's Office also warned citizens that supporting a foreign country (i.e. Ukraine) amid the ongoing "special military operation" could lead to liability on high treason charges. Citizens might face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed a war with Ukraine on February 24. Its being the sixth day that Russian troops have been firing on and destroying key infrastructure facilities, while their missiles have been hitting residential blocks.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.