Cossacks vote at a polling station on the second day of a three-day long presidential election in the settlement of Krasny Kolos in Rostov Region, Russia March 16, 2024. REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov
A missile strike originating from Ukrainian territory resulted in the loss of two lives in western Russia, while a separate drone attack ignited a fire at an oil refinery on Saturday, coinciding with the second day of an ongoing presidential election, an event which President Vladimir Putin has accused Kyiv of attempting to disrupt.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has overshadowed the electoral process, spanning a three-day period, anticipated to secure another six-year term for President Putin. Despite this, sporadic protests have emerged during the election. Ella Pamfilova, the head of the electoral commission, reported instances of tampering with voting materials, including pouring various liquids into ballot boxes, attempted arson, and the deployment of a smoke bomb, totaling 20 incidents thus far.
In the Belgorod region, which has witnessed frequent cross-border attacks from Ukraine, the governor confirmed the deaths of a man and a woman. Visual evidence obtained by Reuters depicted fires and the activation of air raid sirens in the deserted streets of Belgorod city. Dmitry Azarov, governor of the Samara region, situated approximately 850 kilometers southeast of Moscow, reported a fire at the Syzran refinery, with a thwarted attack on another refinery.
Authorities managed to contain the refinery fire after several hours. Nevertheless, these events underscore Ukraine’s capability to launch strikes deep into Russian territory, particularly targeting its energy infrastructure. Earlier in the week, two major refineries were similarly targeted by drone strikes, leading to significant disruptions in production.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced the successful repulsion of Ukrainian attempts to breach the border into the Belgorod region. Consequently, Governor Gladkov declared the closure of schools across much of the region on Monday and Tuesday, with shopping centers in Belgorod city shuttered on Sunday and Monday, citing the “current situation.”
On Friday, Russia initiated its most lethal assault in weeks by targeting a residential area in Odesa, a Black Sea port city in Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 individuals and injuring over 70 others.
President Putin’s dominance in Russian politics remains unchallenged, with his tenure spanning since December 31, 1999, either as president or prime minister. The presidential candidates besides Putin, namely Nikolai Kharitonov, Leonid Slutsky, and Vladislav Davankov, have not posed any significant competition. Notably, prominent opposition figure Alexei Navalny passed away in a penal colony last month, prompting allegations of foul play, which the Kremlin vehemently denies.
The voter turnout, a crucial metric for Putin to assert nationwide support, exceeded 50% on the second day of voting, with particularly high rates observed in regions directly affected by the conflict with Ukraine. Turnout was also notable in Ukrainian territories under Russian control, where Kyiv contests the legitimacy of the voting process.
Attention is now directed towards Sunday, the final day of voting, as Navalny’s supporters have called for nationwide protests at noon across all 11 time zones. Pamfilova has condemned disruptions to the voting process, warning of potential imprisonment for those involved, attributing such actions to Ukrainian intelligence and its alleged collaborators from Western nations.
Additionally, Russia’s ruling party, United Russia, reported experiencing widespread denial-of-service attacks, leading to the suspension of non-essential services. Senior telecom officials attributed the unprecedented level of cyberattacks to Ukraine and Western countries, citing IP addresses traced to Western Europe and North America.
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