Lavrov to UN: Annexed Ukraine territories will have Russia's 'full protection'

Synopsis

Russia says thousands of reservists respond to the mobilization order to fight in Ukraine, while many flee or protest against Vladimir Putin's directives. In Moscow, Russian-installed officials conduct referendums aimed at annexing four occupied regions of Ukraine, with reports of coercion against residents. At the U.N. General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserts that these regions will receive Russia's full protection if annexed. Protests erupt across Russia, from Saint Petersburg to Siberia, with demonstrators chanting against the war and Putin. Police detain over a thousand protesters, including a notable case in Moscow where a woman in a wheelchair holds a sign questioning the war. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges draftees to surrender voluntarily, promising they will not be mistreated and that their circumstances will remain confidential. He emphasizes that avoiding the draft is preferable to facing charges for war crimes.