Russia: Invasion has 'increased chances of dissolution' says host
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A man who opened fire on police and plunged a city into lockdown may have deserted from the Russian army. Russia's Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed a man attacked officers in the Rostov city of Novoshakhtinsk using an automatic weapon. Pictures posted on Telegram show the perpetrator clad in camouflage as online chatter identified him as a "deserter".
He reportedly injured a police officer, who is now in hospital.
The attack rocked communities just 20km from Russia's border with Ukraine, where residents reportedly heard shots fired in the Novaya Sokolovka district.
101.RU said officials closed the city's entrances and exits while police set up checkpoints and searched for a man between 5'9 and 6'2 tall.
They have told residents to remain inside and lock their doors until the search is complete, and primary schools have closed for the day.
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The lockdown has caused traffic jams, forcing some cars into the wrong lanes.
Reports the man is a deserter are so far unconfirmed, but if they turn out accurate, this wouldn't be the first such incident in Russia.
Mobilisation dissenters have become increasingly violent since Vladimir Putin announced he was conscripting soldiers for the front in Ukraine.
In October, defence ministers confirmed that two assailants opened fire on soldiers in Belgorod.
The region, which borders Ukraine, housed a training facility for soldiers heading to the front.
Two perpetrators opened fire on a group training inside, killing 11 and injuring another 15.
The defence ministry said returning fire had killed the shooters, who hailed from a former Soviet republic.
They called the incident a "terrorist attack" in a statement.
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The statement read: “During a firearms training session with individuals who voluntarily expressed a desire to participate in the special military operation (against Ukraine), the terrorists opened fire with small arms on the personnel of the unit.”
The shooting followed one in September when a man in fatigues shot and seriously wounded an enlistment officer in Irkutsk.
Experts believe the shootings come from growing discontent over the Russian draft.
Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said the latest shooting also revealed a lack of protection at Russian military bases.
She told Al Jazeera: “Regardless of who the perpetrator was, it shows how poorly protected Russian military bases are if somebody can just turn up and kill 11 soldiers at the base.
"And it also shows how unprepared the Russian authorities are. They didn’t even manage to kill them after one soldier was shot. The perpetrators shot 11 soldiers."
Ms Braw said the incident was "extremely embarrassing" for Russian authorities.
And she said it would dissuade other soldiers from volunteering over fears they would "end up like this".
