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Kremlin forces have arrested a 76-year-old pensioner who survived the Siege of Leningrad at a peaceful protest against the invasion of Ukraine.
Yelena Osipova survived the Nazi attack on Leningrad when she was just a baby, which was renamed St Petersburg in 1991.
The 872-day siege killed an estimated 800,000 Russians - nearly as many as all the World War II deaths of the United States and the United Kingdom combined.
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Having survived the Nazi horrors, she has since become a well-known political activist in Russia.
As a result, viral footage of the elderly woman being dragged away by eight police officers has already attracted international scorn.
The video has been shared across social media, with Reddit users lashing out at her treatment at the hands of Russian police.
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“This woman has seen more hell than just about any of us can imagine,” one user wrote on Reddit.
“Arresting old war survivors isn’t the sign of a strong government,” another said.
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Protests have raged in recent days in over 40 different Russian cities as the Ukrainian invasion enters its second week.
Independent monitoring group OVD-Info says over 7,000 people in total in Russia have been detained at protests over the invasion of Ukraine.
Protests have raged since the invasion began, with a spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee warning Russians days ago of taking action against the government.
"One should be aware of the negative legal consequences of these actions in the form of prosecution up to criminal liability."
Despite protesting, the Russian government claimed earlier today that it has captured a strategic port city in Ukraine.
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Kherson mayor Igor Kolykhayev told Reuters that Russian forces had forced their way into the city council building on Wednesday night, local time.
Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that the Black Sea port city was now under the ‘complete control’ of Russian soldiers in televised remarks on Wednesday.
Konashenkov added that while they had taken over the city, civilian infrastructure, facilities, public services, and transport would still operate as normal.
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“The city is not experiencing shortages of food and essential goods,” he said.
Talks between Russian commanders and Kherson city officials are now underway to maintain order in the city, according to Konashenkov.
Ukraine's emergency service says more than 2,000 people have been killed since Russia's invasion of the country began on February 24.
Rachel Lang