Since coming to power almost 25 years ago, Putin has eliminated nearly all independent media and opposition voices in Russia, particularly after the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine that initially went badly wrong.Analysts say the Kremlin is worried about low turnout during the three days of voting and needs Russians to participate to give legitimacy to Putin, who is almost certain to win another six-year term.Sam Greene, with the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, called Russia’s election “a sham.””The Kremlin controls who’s on the ballot. The Kremlin controls how they can campaign,” Greene told The Associated Press. “To say nothing of being able to control every aspect of the voting and the vote counting process.”Russia’s exiled opposition are calling on Russians to protest against the election by gathering at polling stations at noon on Sunday in a signal that they don’t support Putin. The event has been dubbed “Noon against Putin” and is being supported by Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition leader who died in a remote Arctic penal colony last month.Despite Russia’s early difficulties in the war, when its assault on Kyiv failed and Western countries came to Ukraine’s aid by sending weapons and training troops, the Kremlin’s forces now have battlefield initiative, military analysts say.
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