Occupied Ukraine encouraged to vote in Russian election by armed men - BBC News

Pro-Russian officials - backed by armed men - are urging people in occupied Ukraine to vote.

14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, Russian-controlled Donetsk election commissionImage caption, People in occupied Ukraine are being strongly encouraged to vote in Russia's upcoming presidential elections - which Putin is expected to winBy Vitaly ShevchenkoBBC MonitoringMoscow has launched a wide-ranging campaign telling residents of occupied parts of Ukraine to vote in Russia's presidential election.

For the first time, the national vote is taking place over three days (15-17 March), but additional early voting has already begun in the occupied parts of four Ukrainian regions: Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk.

One resident complained of pro-Russian collaborators with ballot boxes going from house to house looking for voters accompanied by armed soldiers.

Vladimir Putin will certainly win another term of office, but a high turnout would help the Kremlin's efforts to legitimise his continued rule.

It would also be used to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68535301

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