Vandalism has been reported at polling stations in Russia as the election, which is expected to give Vladimir Putin another term of six years, commences.
On the initial day of the presidential elections, authorities in Moscow reported the detainment of eight individuals for engaging in vandalism at polling locations. It is unclear if the incidents were specifically targeting long-standing leader Vladimir Putin, and according to state media, voting proceeded without disruption.
According to electoral authorities, a female in her twenties threw a Molotov cocktail at a school being used as a polling site in Saint Petersburg. The authorities also stated that the suspect’s “illegal behavior was quickly stopped by law enforcement officers and no one was harmed.”
A video from the independent news source SOTA in Moscow captured an elderly woman setting fire to a voting booth, causing smoke to fill the polling station. Police then detained her. In a separate incident in the city, a woman was arrested for pouring dye into a ballot box. Investigators charged her with impeding the voting process.
Reuters
According to officials, authorities arrested four individuals in Russia’s Voronezh, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Rostov regions for dumping dye into ballot boxes. In Khanty-Mansi, a woman was apprehended for attempting to set a ballot box on fire using a Molotov cocktail, while in Chelyabinsk, police detained a man who tried to ignite firecrackers at a polling station, as reported by state media.
Alexey Navalny passed away in a distant prison in Russia just one month prior to the start of the elections. According to Russian authorities, he died of natural causes, however his loved ones and supporters believe that Putin orchestrated the death of his most outspoken adversary.
Virtually every other member of Navalny’s movement, along with anyone who has dared to voice support for it, or anyone or anything else that has challenged Putin’s narrative about Russia’s war in Ukraine, has been killed, locked up or forced into exile.
With protests of virtually any kind barred across Russia and hundreds of would-be candidates excluded from the elections, there was no doubt that Putin would emerge victorious to claim a new six-year term in office. As president or prime minister, Putin has ruled over Russia uninterrupted for almost a quarter of a century already.
In Washington on Thursday, Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that the citizens of Russia should have the right to participate in democratic and unbiased elections, where they can choose from a variety of candidates with differing perspectives. It is also important for them to have access to unbiased information.
Miller observed that Navalny had passed away recently due to persistent mistreatment and oppression. He also pointed out that Putin and his administration are still using flimsy excuses to deny registration to candidates who oppose war and are withholding real options from Russian voters.
Rephrased: Russian-occupied Ukraine holds “fraudulent elections” as conflict continues.
Election season in Russia has officially begun with the commencement of voting on Friday for the upcoming three-day presidential race. Meanwhile, new attacks have been launched, bringing attention to potential complications during the election process.
violent clash in Ukraine
The election has been presented by Putin as a display of the Russian people’s allegiance and approval of his military aggression against the neighboring nation, which has been ongoing for three years.
Ukraine vows to keep fighting Russia amid stalled U.S. aid effort
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Voting occurred at polling locations across a country spanning 11 different time zones. This included the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, positioned between Poland and Lithuania of the European Union, as well as territories in eastern Ukraine that are under Russian control.
On Thursday, at the State Department, Miller stated that the US denounces Russia’s ongoing attempts to weaken Ukraine’s control, national unity, and self-governance by conducting fake elections in Ukrainian regions under occupation. The US firmly opposes the validity or consequences of these artificial elections within Ukraine’s borders, which are being held as part of Russia’s presidential elections.
When the voting began on Friday, Moscow and Kyiv announced that civilians were killed in the most recent series of overnight air attacks.
Putin reminded his nation that they have proven their ability to unite and protect Russia’s freedom, sovereignty, and security. He encouraged Russians to support him during what he referred to as a challenging time.
In a pre-election message televised on state TV, he emphasized the utmost importance of remaining on this path.
due to the increase in military spending
The Russian leader has been feeling very assured, as his soldiers have recently gained due to the rise in military expenses.
obtained their initial territorial expansions
In Ukraine, it has been almost a year and Ukrainian military units are urgently seeking a crucial extension of time.U.S. support currently mired
within the United States’ internal political situation.
pro-Kyiv guerilla fighters
I have also initiated a number of attempted attacks across borders.
According to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, voters in Belgorod, a city close to the Ukrainian border, had to evacuate a polling station to seek shelter in a bomb shelter after receiving an air alert from authorities. The Russian defense ministry claimed that Ukraine had launched seven rockets towards the region.
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Source: cbsnews.com