Putin secures nearly 88% of votes in Russian presidential election

The vote occurred amidst a severe suppression of the opposition and freedom of expression in the nation.

With a majority of 87.97% of the votes, Vladimir Putin has emerged victorious in Russia’s presidential election.

According to the initial results, Vladimir Putin has emerged victorious in the Russian presidential election on Sunday with approximately 88% of the total votes.

Based on the initial official reports following the conclusion of the election on Sunday, it was reported by news agency Reuters that Vladimir Putin emerged as the winner of Russia’s presidential election with an overwhelming 87.97% of the total votes.

The election was held amid a severe suppression of the opposition and freedom of expression in the nation. According to the news agency The Associated Press, only three “token” candidates were permitted to run against him. Notably, none of these candidates are against his actions in Ukraine.

Earlier on Sunday, Russian citizens gathered in large numbers outside voting locations to demonstrate their opposition to President Putin in an election that presented them with limited options.

According to reports from the Associated Press, the election in Russia took place over the course of three days, from Friday to Sunday. However, during this time, the country was under attack by Ukrainian missiles and drones, resulting in the deaths of multiple individuals.

Last month, Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition leader and Putin’s strongest opponent, passed away while imprisoned in the Artic Circle. Currently, other critics of Putin are either incarcerated or living in exile. Moreover, the election process lacks genuine options for voters, and impartial observation of the election is severely restricted.

On Sunday afternoon, Navalny’s team encouraged individuals dissatisfied with Putin or the ongoing war to express their discontent by participating in the polls. As a result, there were long queues outside several polling stations, both within Russia and at its embassies worldwide.

Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Alexei Navalny, voted at the Russian Embassy in Berlin. Despite waiting in line for over five hours, she revealed to reporters that she had included her husband’s name on the ballot in memory of him.

According to individuals interviewed by The Associated Press in Moscow and St Petersburg, some Russians were participating in the protest while waiting to vote. However, it cannot be verified if all individuals shown in the queue were also taking part in the protest.

The voting process occurred over a span of three days at polling stations located in all 11 time zones of Russia. It also took place in regions of Ukraine that have been unlawfully annexed and through online methods. Although the polls officially closed on Sunday night in Russia, some embassies around the globe continued to hold voting.

Throughout the duration of the voting period, numerous incidents of vandalism at polling stations were reported, despite the strict measures in place to prevent such occurrences.

Multiple individuals were apprehended in Moscow and St Petersburg for attempting to ignite fires or detonate explosives at voting locations. Additionally, several others were held for pouring green disinfectant or ink into ballot boxes.

According to OVD-Info, an organization that tracks political detentions, 80 individuals were detained in 20 different cities throughout Russia on Sunday.