Putin's call-up of reservists sparks protests, exodus of Russian men, but he looks set to escalate Ukraine war
CBSN
Kyiv, Ukraine — Russian reservists are on their way to the front lines in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of his military reserves. But the move has not gone down well. In the hours after Putin made the announcement, thousands of Russians in cities across the country defied the country's blanket ban on unauthorized demonstrations to take to the streets in protest. More than 1,000 were arrested, according to an independent Russian monitoring group.
And while the Kremlin denies any exodus is taking place, there has been clear evidence of Russians, mostly men of fighting age, clambering to flee their country to avoid fighting in Putin's war in Ukraine.
As CBS News correspondent Debora Patta reports, Russian men, reservists between the ages of 18 and 50 from across the country, started receiving summons calling them up to report for military duty within hours of Putin making the announcement on Wednesday.
Tokyo — In North Korea, the release of Taylor Swift's new double album was completely eclipsed by the surprise drop of another brand-new song, complete with an elaborately produced music video. There were no tortured poets in sight for the release of "Friendly Father," an energetic pop-style piece of state propaganda praising North Korea's dictatorial leader Kim Jong Un.
Berlin — German authorities say they have arrested two people suspected of spying for Russia. The suspects, identified as German-Russian nationals, are accused of scouting targets for potential attacks, including U.S. military facilities in Germany, the Federal Public Prosecutor General for Karlsruhe said in a statement released Thursday.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, flooding portions of major highways, leaving vehicles abandoned on roadways across Dubai and grinding traffic at the city-state's huge international airport briefly to a complete halt. Meanwhile, the death toll from separate heavy flooding in neighboring Oman rose to 18, with others still missing as the sultanate prepared for the storm.
Paris — Five years have passed since Notre Dame cathedral in Paris was engulfed in flames. The iconic spire and timber roof were destroyed in the blaze. People around the world were shocked at the scale of the fire and the damage it caused, but work to restore the iconic landmark to its former glory continues.