MOSCOW ROCKED BY VANDALISM DURING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
The first day of voting in the Russian presidential elections was marred by several incidents of vandalism at polling stations, officials report.
Reports from state media revealed incidents such as green dye being poured into ballot boxes, boxes being set on fire, and fireworks being ignited inside polling stations across the country.
Despite the chaos, Vladimir Putin is expected to secure another six years in office following the election.
Law enforcement officials have been urged to remain vigilant in light of the disturbances, most of which were concentrated in polling stations in Moscow, Voronezh, and the region of Karachay-Cherkessia.
In St Petersburg, a woman attempted to throw a petrol bomb near a polling station, but authorities were able to extinguish the fire before any damage was done.
Social media footage captured a woman in Moscow pouring bright green liquid into a ballot box, while law enforcement officials were seen extinguishing a fire at a voting booth before apprehending a suspect in the Russian capital.
Voting will continue over the next three days until Sunday, with a predicted victory for Putin given the lack of a credible opponent. Turnout in Moscow had already reached 23% by late afternoon, according to state media.
Incidents of vandalism were also reported in occupied areas of Ukraine, where an improvised explosive device detonated near a polling station without causing injuries.
Despite at least thirteen arrests related to the vandalism, officials have not confirmed whether the acts were protests against Putin.
Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late activist Alexei Navalny, has called on Putin’s opponents to mobilize at polling stations on Sunday to voice their dissent. She has urged the West not to recognize Putin’s fifth term and NATO’s secretary general has criticized the election as not being free and fair.
The Central Election Committee of Russia reported five incidents of liquids being poured into ballot boxes, with attacks involving the use of “brilliant green” dye occurring around 11:00 Moscow time.
Officials described the perpetrators as “scumbags from abroad” and labeled the vandalism as having elements of “terrorism”. Those caught tampering with ballots could face up to five years in jail.
Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatyana Moskalkova, condemned the acts of vandalism and called on law enforcement to safeguard the voting process.
As polling stations opened across Russia, some of the vandals reportedly shouted pro-Ukrainian slogans, adding a political dimension to the disruptions.
The voting process will conclude on Sunday evening, with polling stations opening in the Kamchatka Peninsula and closing in the Kaliningrad exclave. — BBC
