Putin celebrates his unassailable election win as Russians silently protest

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, celebrated an outcome early on Monday that was always certain: a partial election result showing him handily winning a fifth term despite facing only token opponents and repressing opposition voices.

On Sunday, the penultimate day of the election, Russians flocked outside voting places at midday, perhaps responding to an opposition demand to voice their disapproval of Putin, leaving little room for protest. However, the approaching landslide highlighted that the Russian president, who is extending his almost 25-year reign for a further six years, will tolerate nothing less than complete control of the nation’s political system.

Critics saw the early results as another evidence of the election’s predetermined character, while Putin celebrated them as a sign of “hope” and “trust” in him.

Naturally, we have a ton of work ahead of us. But I want everyone to know this: nobody has ever been able to scare us or subdue our will or self-awareness since we were consolidated. Following the closing of the votes, Putin addressed volunteers, saying, “They failed in the past and they will fail in the future.”

“The polls have closed in Russia due to the illegal holding of elections on Ukrainian territory, a lack of choice for voters, and no independent OSCE monitoring,” the foreign secretary of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, tweeted on X, previously known as Twitter. Free and fair elections don’t look like this.

There has been a suppression of public opposition against Putin and his conflict in Ukraine. The independent media is in terrible shape. Alexei Navalny, his most ardent political opponent, passed away in an Arctic prison last month, while other opponents are either imprisoned or living abroad.

In addition to the fact that voters had very few options, there was very little independent oversight of the election. After roughly 90% of the precincts were tallied, Putin received around 87% of the vote, according to Russia’s Central Election Commission.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Those dissatisfied with Putin or the conflict in Ukraine were encouraged by Navalny’s colleagues to vote on Sunday at noon in that strictly regulated setting. At that time, queues seemed to form outside many voting places in Russia as well as at its embassies abroad.

The widow of Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, was among those who answered the call; she joined a lengthy queue in Berlin as some members of the audience cheered and sang her name.

After spending almost five hours in line, she revealed to reporters that she had written her late husband’s name on the ballot.

When asked whether she had a message for Putin, Navalnaya said, “Please stop asking me or anybody else to send messages for Mr. Putin.” With Mr. Putin, there could be no discussions or agreements since he is a thug and a murderer.

However, Putin downplayed the significance of the seeming demonstration.

“Voters were urged to turn out at midday. And this was meant to be an example of resistance. At a press conference held after the polls’ closure, he said, “Well, if there were calls to come vote, then… I praise this.”

Remarkably, at the press conference, Putin mentioned Navalny by name for the first time in many years. And only a few days before to his death, he claimed to have been told of a plan to free the opposition leader from jail. Putin said that he approved of the plan—as long as Navalny stayed out of Russia.

The Associated Press was informed by several Russian voters in line for the polls in Moscow and St. Petersburg that they were participating in the protest; but, it was not possible to verify whether every voter participated.

One voter in Moscow told the AP that she was casting her first ballot and went under the name Yulia.

“My conscience will be clear… for the future that I want to see for our country, even if my vote makes no difference,” she said. She disclosed just part of her name due to security concerns, much as others.

Vadim, a voter from Moscow who also spoke by his first name, expressed his optimism for change but also noted that it was “unfortunately, unlikely.”

In the meanwhile, Navalny’s admirers flocked to his Moscow tomb, some of them carrying votes bearing his name.

The largest independent news source in Russia, Meduza, released images of votes that its viewers had sent in. Some of the ballots had the words “killer,” “thief,” and “The Hague awaits you” written on them. The latter alludes to an International Criminal Court arrest order for Putin, which holds him accountable for the kidnappings of Ukrainian children.

It is not surprising that some individuals told the AP that they were delighted to vote for Putin in a nation where state TV constantly praises the Russian president and it is dangerous to express any other view. Independent media has been severely restricted.

After casting his vote in Moscow, Dmitry Sergienko said, “I am happy with everything and want everything to continue as it is now.”

Over the course of three days, votes were cast online, at voting places spread out throughout the huge nation, and in unauthorized areas of Ukraine. Russian officials said that during the voting on Sunday, Ukraine launched a significant new round of assaults against Russia, killing two people, highlighting the difficulties the Kremlin faces.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Throughout the election season, several dozen incidents of vandalism at polling places were recorded, despite stringent restrictions.

Some were held for putting ink or green disinfectant into vote boxes, while others were arrested for attempting to create fires or detonate explosives at voting places, notably in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Co-chair of the Golos independent election monitor Stanislav Andreychuk said that law enforcement was putting unprecedented pressure on voters.

In a social media post, he claimed that Russian voters had their identities checked, that votes had been attempted to be verified before being cast, and that police had even requested that a voting box be opened in order to remove a ballot.

On the messaging app Telegram, Andreychuk commented, “It’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen such absurdities.” He added that he began watching Russian elections 20 years ago.

According to the political arrest watchdog organization OVD-Info, 80 persons were taken into custody on Sunday in 20 different Russian towns.

Though there was minimal opportunity for individuals to voice their disapproval, Ivan Zhdanov, the chairman of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said that the opposition’s call for protest had been effective.

Huge lineups outside diplomatic missions in London, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Belgrade, and other cities with sizable Russian populations—many of whom fled their homes after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine—also developed outside Russian embassies outside of Russia around midday.

Berlin demonstrators held up torn votes in voting boxes next to a picture of Putin floating in a pool of blood with the Ukrainian flag flying on the side.

Officials and Russian state media said that there was a high attendance overseas.

23-year-old Tatiana said she traveled to Tallinn to participate in the demonstration, where hundreds of people formed a line that wound through the cobblestone streets of the Estonian city and ultimately to the Russian Embassy.

She only gave her first name, but said, “I think it’s important to utilize any opportunity if we have some option to protest.”

Election authorities disallowed liberal lawmaker Boris Nadezhdin from standing on an anti-war platform, but he expressed optimism that many Russians would vote against Putin.

After casting his ballot in the town of Dolgoprudny, which is not far from Moscow, he said, “I think the Russian people today have a chance to show their real attitude to what is happening by voting not for Putin, but for some other candidates or in some other way, which is exactly what I did.”