Russia’s final day of presidential voting commenced amidst accusations from Moscow, alleging Ukrainian air attacks aimed at sabotaging the election, expected to extend President Vladimir Putin’s tenure by another six years.
With over half of Russian voters having already cast their ballots over the initial two days, the final day poses a test for the opposition, rallying supporters for a synchronized voting action named “Noon Against Putin.”
While sporadic protests have surfaced during the election, recent developments in the Ukraine conflict have cast a deeper shadow over the voting process. Putin, on Friday, accused Kyiv of intensifying drone and missile attacks within Russia and Moscow-held territories in Ukraine, pledging retaliatory measures.
Reports from local Russian authorities on Sunday confirmed continued strikes from Kyiv’s forces on Russian regions bordering Ukraine.
In his nightly address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy did not directly reference the reported attacks but commended military and intelligence efforts for bolstering Ukrainian capabilities.
Considering the election in territories controlled by Russia as illegal, Kyiv’s consistent strikes primarily targeting infrastructure are perceived by military analysts as efforts to destabilize Russians’ sense of security and undermine Moscow’s war endeavors.
The conflict in Ukraine stands as Europe’s deadliest since World War Two. Among the three other candidates on the ballot, none pose a significant challenge to Putin, who maintains a dominant presence in Russia’s political arena.
Supporters of Putin’s prominent adversary, the late Alexei Navalny, urged citizens nationwide to vote simultaneously at noon on Sunday across all 11 time zones in an initiative dubbed “Noon Against Putin,” endorsed by Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya. This action is portrayed as a legal means of expressing opposition, mitigating arrest risks. However, the Kremlin cautioned against participation in unauthorized assemblies.
The “Noon Against Putin” initiative affirmed on Telegram early Sunday, “Today we want to say to all of us – noon is the very beginning… But we are the people. And we will cope with both the choice and the responsibility.”
Over 114 million Russians are eligible to vote, including those in Moscow-designated “new territories” – four Ukrainian regions under partial Russian control, claimed by Moscow. The Russian Central Election Committee reported over 63 million voters by Saturday evening, indicating significant turnout.
