Voters across Russia cast ballots Saturday on the second day of an election set to formalize six more years of power for President Vladimir Putin, who faces no serious challengers after crushing political dissent over his nearly 25 years of rule.
The election comes against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has stifled independent media and prominent rights groups. Putin's fiercest foe, Alexey Navalny, died in an Arctic prison in February, and other critics are either in jail or in exile.
The 71-year-old Putin faces three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties, who have refrained from any criticism of him or his invasion of Ukraine. Putin has cast his war in Ukraine, now in its third year, as an existential battle against the U.S. and other Western powers bent on destroying Russia.
That war was visible on Russia's streets Saturday as Ukrainian drone and missile attacks once again hit the country.
Two people were killed in Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. Dozens of people have been killed there since the war began.
Elsewhere, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil refinery belonging to Russian oil giant Rosneft in the Samara region, 662 miles southeast of Moscow, the regional governor said.
In spite of the attacks, analysts say the Kremlin is looking for a high turnout in the elections as a sign that Russians approve of the war to legitimize Putin for another term.
The Russian defense ministry has served as a key growth engine, working around the clock to churn out missiles, tanks and ammunition and cushioning Russians from the economic impact of the war — driving down unemployment and driving up wages. Russia's wartime economy has also proven to be resilient, expanding despite bruising Western sanctions.
Russia's opposition movement has urged those unhappy with Putin or the war to show up at the polls at noon Sunday, the final day of voting, as a form of protest. The strategy was endorsed by Navalny not long before his death.
Voting is taking place at polling stations across Russia's 11 time zones, in illegally annexed regions of Ukraine, and online.
In the run-up to the vote, Putin boasted about battlefield successes in Ukraine, where the Russian troops have recently made incremental gains relying on their edge in firepower. Ukraine, meanwhile, has fought back by stepping up attacks on Russia's border regions and launching drone strikes deep inside the country.
During the recent events, Putin accused Ukrainian forces of cross-border shelling and incursions in an attempt to intimidate Russians and disrupt the upcoming vote. He warned that these attacks would not go unanswered.
Leaders from Western countries have criticized the election as a mockery of democracy.
European Council President Charles Michel sarcastically congratulated Putin on his "overwhelming victory" in an election that was still ongoing. "No opposition. No freedom. No choice," he remarked on social media.
In addition to the lack of electoral choices, the opportunities for independent monitoring are extremely limited. There were no significant international observers present, and only candidates approved by the Kremlin or state-backed bodies could assign observers to polling stations, reducing the chances of impartial oversight.
