Russia on Sunday wrapped up widely denounced regional and municipal elections, including in regions annexed from Ukraine, delivering strong support for President Vladimir Putin amidst criticism of vote rigging and Kyiv's push to reclaim its land.
say it was an illegal attempt to tighten Moscow's grip over regions in Ukraine's south and east.
But in the regions voting, electoral competition was limited, as strong candidates, including some from Russia's main opposition Communist Party, were blocked from running by authorities. Andreychuk said his organisation had received reports of opposition candidates being detained, having their cars vandalised, and, in one case, military draft papers being served to election observers.The Kremlin says opinion polls and numerous election wins show that Putin is by far the most popular politician in Russia and that elections are free and fair.
Kremlin-backed candidates were also winning in four war-ravaged Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Moscow declared its territory last year in an annexation denounced by Kyiv and its allies as illegal.