Russia's election under scrutiny: coercion and propaganda in play

Sunday is the third day of the presidential elections in Russia, occurring two years after the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. A video published online shows an armed soldier checking the voting booths.

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Many reports from Russian media or officials are propaganda. These reports are part of the information war led by the Russian Federation.

The elections in Russia began on Friday and will last three days, marking the first time in history. Voting is also happening in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian troops, often under coercion.

Biełsat shared a video on social media, showcasing the voting process at one of the polling stations. In the video, an armed military officer enters the booths and watches the voting residents.

"Look what's happening. And it's like this all day" - whispers a voice in the recording, according to Biełsat.

The ballot includes the names of Putin and his formal rivals: Nikolai Kharitonov, Vladislav Davankov, and Leonid Slutsky.

Putin, as recalled by the BBC's Russian editorial team, has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2023 for the deportation of Ukrainian children, a war crime.

Kharitonov is a candidate of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), Slutsky represents the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), once led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, while Davankov is from the New People party and serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament. The factions seated in the Russian Parliament are not opposition; they remain loyal to the Kremlin and its policies.

An independent portal, Meduza, reported in March 2024, citing sources within the Kremlin, that the authorities' plan foresees over 80 percent of votes for Putin with high voter turnout - between 70 and 80 percent. According to these sources, turnout is to be ensured by mobilizing voters completely dependent on the state: employees of budget institutions, state-owned enterprises, and large companies loyal to the government. There is pressure on them to vote, bringing along other people, e.g., family members and friends.