On 8 July 2024, police in Moscow detained at least two journalists at an anti-mobilization protest, Russian independent media reported. According to online outlet SotaVision, two of its correspondents were detained. The first was released soon after their detention, while the second was taken to a local police station, from where they were released later on the same day without charges. SotaVision did not reveal the identity of its journalists present at the protest, presumably due to security concerns. In its reporting, the outlet suggested that the detention of the journalists was carried out in order to intimidate other correspondents present on-site into ceasing their reporting.
The protest SotaVision and other outlets were covering was one in a series of regular events held by wives and other relatives of mobilized Russian soldiers. The participants of the rallies demand the return of their family members from the front line in Ukraine,