A-Infos (en) Czech, AFED:[Russia]- 2022: Radical protests in Russia against military aggression (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

A summary of the resistance actions that took place in Russia after Putin began 
his campaign in Ukraine. ---- Russia ---- We repeatedly point out that lumping 
people together based on where they were born or what is written on their 
passport is complete nonsense - like the whole concept of nationalism. It is so 
obvious that even if Putin is conducting a genocidal campaign of conquest against 
Ukraine in the name of the Russian people, this does not mean that it is being 
done with the consent of the people of Russia. It is of course sad that many of 
them support the invasion, as do their infallible leader and the entire Z-fascist 
regime. It's sad, of course, that many of them are oblivious to some 
extermination of villages in a neighboring country. But it is gratifying that 
there are those in Russia who do not agree with Putin's aggression and reject the 
Russian emperor and his regime. And it's also nice that a large group of 
indifferent people at least responded to the mobilization by refusing to join it 
and emigrating from the country. It is one thing to tacitly tolerate the existing 
regime and quite another to be forced to lay down one's life for it because of 
the great power ambitions of an aging chieftain.

War on Putin's war was declared not only by the attacked residents of Ukraine, 
but also by some Russian men and women. Some of them went to Ukraine to fight 
against Z-fascism, others resort to subversive acts on the territory of Russia 
itself. Considering Russia's size and population, it is undoubtedly a drop in the 
ocean. This drop, however, cannot be denied its enormous courage, partial slowing 
down of the militaristic machinery of the aggressor, but also a strong symbolic 
effect. It is certainly not surprising that anarchists are also involved in the 
resistance against the Z-fascist regime. It is also not surprising that they are 
targeted (and not only) by the repressive apparatus of the Putin regime. Let's 
look at an overview of what happened in Russia in 2022 according to available 
information:

At least 86 arson attacks and attempted arsons

Military recruitment offices, administrative buildings, offices of political 
parties, offices of the police, the National Guard and the FSB were on fire. The 
arsonists were men and women of various ages and professions, male and female 
students, schoolboys and one schoolgirl, pensioners, an engineer, a teacher, an 
artist, a blogger and a former city representative.

Almost all of them used Molotov cocktails. Some of them had previously broken 
windows or made holes in them and poured gasoline into the building. At the 
beginning of the war, arson was considered intentional damage to property, but in 
the fall it was already classified as a terrorist act, punishable by up to 15 
years in prison.

What did the arsonists say?

"The goal was to destroy the archive with the personal files of the conscripts. I 
hope I won't see my classmates captured or on the dead list." Kirill Butylin 
(21), set fire to the office of military records and conscription in Luhovce.

"Everyone protests as they feel. This is how I protest against war and 
mobilization." Mikhail Filatov (35) drove a car to the military registration and 
conscription office in Uryupinsk and set it and the building on fire.

At least 60 railroad sabotages

Guerrillas have been operating on the railroad since the beginning of the war to 
delay military supplies. Guerrilla groups claim to have been inspired by the 
actions of "railroad partisans" in Belarus.

This summary includes only those actions for which photographic confirmation was 
found on "guerrilla" Telegram channels. Anonymous guerrillas claim to have 
carried out more than 300 railway sabotages.

Sabotaging a railway facility is considered by the authorities to be an act of 
terrorism, punishable by 15 years in prison. If the sabotage was carried out by 
an organized group, there is a risk of up to 20 years in prison.

The aim of the railway partisans is to destabilize the part of the railway in 
Russia which supplies the front. The result is derailed freight trains, 
burned-out cars with fuel in the tanks, diverted switches, dismantling and 
undermining of tracks, burnt relay boxes, etc.

The groups Stop the Wagons, Anarcho-Communist Fighting Organization and Freedom 
of Russia took responsibility for these direct actions. Several guerrillas were 
detained and two (the guerrillas claim) were killed in a shootout with security 
forces during one of the actions.

At least 178 soldiers convicted for refusing to fight

In the past year, we have recorded cases where military contractors (soldiers 
with a contract) escaped from their unit before being sent to the front; escaped 
from a field camp on the border; they fought, returned to the unit and escaped 
from it; they ran away from the hospital to avoid having to return to the front. 
Officers are also among those convicted: at least three platoon commanders were 
convicted for refusing to obey orders from higher commanders.

Dozens of similar cases are pending in the courts.

Only five of them received a real sentence of six months to one year in a penal 
colony. All of them explicitly stated in court that they did not want to 
participate in the war. Other contract soldiers went to court, saying they were 
fleeing "the hardships of military life". They were sentenced to fines, 
restrictions on military service or suspended sentences.

In 2023, the punishment statistics will probably be different, as the relevant 
article of the Criminal Code was tightened in the autumn. Soldiers who left their 
units after the mobilization was announced now face up to 10 years in prison.

At least 30 propaganda objects destroyed

Posters and installations in support of the war are cut, burned, smashed and 
painted with anti-war slogans. Cars with pro-war symbols also suffered - some 
"patriots" lost their cars in a sudden fire, others escaped with broken windows.

Among those detained and accused are active members of political movements, 
pensioners, teachers, students, pupils and retired police officers. Many of them 
were arrested on charges of vandalism or willful damage to property (up to five 
years in prison).

Source:
https://a2day.org/2022-radikalnye-protesty-v-rossii-protiv-voennoj-agressii/

Related links:

https://www.afed.cz/text/7843/2022-radikalni-protesty-v-rusku-proti-vojenske-agresi
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Subscribe/Unsubscribe https://ainfos.ca/mailman/listinfo/a-infos-en
Archive: http://ainfos.ca/en