During the recent Russian election, some voters took extreme measures to express their dissatisfaction with President Vladimir Putin. Acts of vandalism, including setting fire to ballot boxes, were captured on camera. At least nine individuals were arrested on the first day of voting, which is widely expected to secure another term for Putin, making him the longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin.
Incidents of vandalism included setting polling stations and voting booths on fire, pouring green dye into a ballot box, setting off fireworks in a polling station, and even detonating an explosive device in Russian-occupied Ukraine. One woman faces potential jail time for pouring disinfectant into a ballot box while shouting pro-Ukrainian slogans.
Authorities have not confirmed whether these incidents were part of a coordinated protest or random acts, despite the recurring use of green liquid to spoil ballots. The use of green liquid may be a reference to an attack on opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2017.
Prosecutors have warned against mass rallies and protests, with reports of multiple incidents occurring on the first day of voting. While voting will continue until Sunday, over a third of voters had already cast their ballots by Friday night, with both in-person and online voting options available.
The U.N. Security Council has raised concerns about the election being held in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, condemning it as fraudulent. The death of Navalny, a prominent critic of Putin's government, has added to the tensions surrounding the election, with conflicting reports about the circumstances of his passing.
