Thousands of protesters defy Putin as exit poll announced – Russia elections live

The German Foreign Office has condemned the presidential elections in Russia, which are due to conclude shortly and will almost certainly result in Vladimir Putin resuming office for a fifth term, as “neither free nor fair”.

In a statement on X, the ministry wrote: “The pseudo-election in #Russia is neither free nor fair, the result will surprise nobody. Putin’s rule is authoritarian, he relies on censorship, repression & violence.

“The ‘election’ in the occupied territories of #Ukraine are null and void & another breach of international law.”

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has congratulated Vladimir Putin as exit polls suggest that the autocrat has won more than 87 per cent of the presidential vote.

“Congratulstions to all Russia’s enemies on Vladimir Putin’s brilliant victory in the election of the President of the Russian Federation!” Medvedev wrote on X. “And a thank you to friends for the support.”

The first results for the Russian presidential election, widely suspected to be rigged, have been published for the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Footage has shown armed soldiers escorting Ukrainian civilians to the polling stations in the four regions Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in Ukraine in September 2022. Kyiv says they are being intimidated into voting for the man that ordered the invasion of their homes.

Authorities have claimed that Putin won 95.23 per cent in Donetsk region, 94.12 per cent in Luhansk, 92.95 per cent in Zaporizhzhia and 88.12 per cent in Kherson. They say all the votes have been counted.

These are not a genuine reflection of support for Putin in the occupied territories, rather they are a sign of how Russia is trying to project popularity.

The first exit polls have suggested that Vladimir Putin has won roughly 87.8 per cent of the presidential vote.

These projections were published by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM).

At least 73.33 per cent of Russians have voted in the presidential elections, the election commission has claimed, eclipsing the final voter turnout in 2018 by neary 5 per cent.

The final votes are currently being cast in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which is an hour behind Moscow.

It was widely expected that both the voter turnout and the percentage of ballots for Vladimir Putin would increase this year, compared to 2018, in what is believed to be a sham eletcion.

More than eight million Russians voted electronically in this weekend’s presidential elections, an election official has claimed.

It is the first time in Russia voters have been permitted to partake of the election electronically.

The Independent could not substantiate this claim.

Polling stations in Russia have closed after three days as Vladimir Putin looks set to resume office in what is widely regarded as a rigged election.

Voting across the country, divided into 11 time zones, concluded at 8pm Moscow time (5pm GMT). They began at 8am on 15 March.

Preliminary projections suggest Putin has won at least 75 per cent of the vote, with Vladislav Davankov, the nominally pro-peace candidate, in second place with around 14 per cent.

However, given that Putin claimed more than 76 per cent in the 2018 presidential election, the preliminary count is expected to rise.

The crowd could be heard chanting her name as Ms Navalnaya shook hands with protesters.

Protesters could also be seen holding up a fake street sign reading “Alexei Navalny Street”.

The sham Russian election, taking place this weekend, is widely expected to confirm Vladimir Putin’s fifth term of presidency, set to last for at least another six years.

Putin, 71, faces little competition; his opponents are either in jail or in exile abroad. His most prominent competition- Mr Navalny – died in a remote Arctic penal colony last month.

Consolidating power and quashing dissent has characterised his nearly quarter of a century in power; a new form of much of the same is likely to define his fifth term in charge, this time centred on prolonging his war in Ukraine.

“The election means more war, no peace,” says John Foreman, a former UK defence attache to Moscow.

Russian polling stations in the occupied Ukrainian region of Luhansk have closed, local officials announced, as the last day of voting in sham presidential elections comes to a close.

Elena Kravchenko, chairman of the Election Commission of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), said all 581 polling stations had been closed and they had begun counting votes.

The election commission has claimed that the final turnout in the LPR was 87.12 percent.

Over the past few weeks – voting for the presidential elections was opened early in occupied Ukraine – footage has shown armed Russian soldiers escorting poll workers door-to-door through the four regions of Ukraine illegally annexed by Vladimir Putin in September 2022.

Occupation officials have said the military escorts are there to protect those collecting votes but Ukraine says they are there to intimidate civilians into voting for a man that ordered the invasion of their regional homes.