Detained professor's protest highlights scepticism in Russian election
16 March 2024 16:44
As reported by the Vecherniye Vedomosti newspaper, in Yekaterinburg, Russia, a woman was detained at a polling station. She attempted to pour paint into the ballot box. Since Friday, presidential elections have been underway, with Vladimir Putin being the clear favourite.
Voting at Russian polling stations will continue until 17 March. People are choosing from four candidates for a new president, though it is widely recognized that the elections are rigged, and Russia will continue to be ruled by Vladimir Putin.
A variety of absurd incidents have been reported during the Russian elections. The "Nexta" portal reported that in Chelyabinsk, upon an "independent observer's" request, a clock adorned with Vladimir Putin's face, which the observer considered campaign material for the candidate, was removed during the elections.
An incident also occurred in Yekaterinburg. A woman was detained at a polling station after she tried to pour paint into the ballot box as a form of protest.
The woman turned out to be a Doctor of Sciences and a professor at the Ural Federal University. She is currently being held at the police station and faces criminal charges.
Unfortunately, such individual acts of protest cannot lead to change. It's heartbreaking for this courageous woman, living among millions who won't stand up. If there were tens or hundreds of thousands of protesters, that could make a difference. Sadly, they are few - Anton Heraszczenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, pointed out on social media.
Ukrainians report success: "The voting system has been compromised"
As reported on Saturday by the Ukrinform agency, citing a source within the GUR, Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) computer specialists hacked the Russian state services system, which supports electronic voting in the presidential elections.
The Russian state services website is down. The voting system has been compromised. GUR computer experts have bypassed all security measures. This disruption will continue until voting concludes - the source highlighted.
