Dozens detained as Russian soldiers’ wives call for their return from Ukraine

Over two dozen people have been detained at a protest in central Moscow, as relatives of Russian servicemen mobilized to fight in Ukraine called for their return. The relatives gathered Saturday to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, just outside the Kremlin walls. They marked 500 days since the Kremlin ordered a deeply unpopular call-up of up to 300,000 reservists. According to a Russian independent website that monitors political arrests, 27 people were detained, including journalists and at least one protester. The demonstration came just weeks before Russia’s presidential election, and some campaigners went on to present their demands at incumbent President Putin’s campaign headquarters.