On 21 September 2022, demonstrations broke out throughout Russia, including St. Petersburg and the capital Moscow, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial deployment of the Russian military’s reserve forces. In Moscow, police officers wearing anti-riot gear surrounded protesters in the city center and arrested at least 530 people. Nearly 500 others were detained in St. Petersburg for participating in the unauthorized protests. Local reports indicate that more than 1,320 people were arrested during demonstrations in at least 41 cities across the country.