Russia has held elections with soldiers present at the ballot box in the occupied territories of Ukraine as part of nationwide parliamentary elections taking place across Russia. The sham elections were held in, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, and the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
The election result is largely foretold, with the ruling United Russia party expected to retain an outright majority in the State Duma. The election is taking place with virtually no meaningful opposition, with numerous opposition figures either jailed, forced into exile or prevented from standing. The liberal Yabloko party, the only registered political party openly opposed to the war in Ukraine, was removed from the party ballot by Russia’s Supreme Court ahead of the election.
The Council of Europe has described the vote as a “fake election”, while Ukraine and the European Union have condemned Russia’s decision to organise voting in occupied Ukrainian territories as illegal and contrary to international law.
In the occupied Ukrainian territories, election officials have been accompanied by Russian soldiers while visiting residents to collect votes. Reuters photographs from occupied Donetsk showed election commission members accompanied by a Russian serviceman during early voting.
The elections are the first parliamentary vote held in Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. President Vladimir Putin has presented the vote as an indication of public support for the war, while United Russia is widely expected to maintain its dominance of parliament.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued its wave of regular strikes against civilians in various Ukrainian cities striking Sumy among other places.
Feature photo cbc.ca
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