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It was a horror day for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin (71): On Tuesday, pro-Ukrainian Russian rebels attacked cities in western Russia and, according to their own statements, even occupied two cities in the Belgorod and Kursk regions. And Ukrainian forces attacked major Russian cities such as Voronezh and St. Petersburg with swarms of drones, destroying crucial infrastructure such as oil depots and government buildings.
The same pattern continues on Wednesday: large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia. Overall, the images and reactions from both sides indicate that there has been heavy fighting in the Russian border area. And all this just a few days before the Russian presidential elections, which will take place from March 15 to 17. Could these fights even influence the Russian elections?
What do the Ukrainian attacks on Russia mean for Putin?
Putin has no interest in images and videos of burning oil refineries in Russia and fleeing Russian soldiers just before the elections. This destroys the image of a safe Russia that he protects from chaos. It is certainly no coincidence that the attacks are taking place now.
Ulrich Schmid, Russia expert at the University of St. Gallen, confirmed this to Blick. He doesn’t expect them to have a major impact on this weekend’s election. He warns: “Such actions can have a counterproductive effect. The attacks allow Kremlin propaganda to point out, in a treacherous reversal of cause and effect, how dangerous Ukraine is to Russia and that a Russian victory is all the more important. And according to Putin’s narrative, victory over Ukraine is only possible under his rule.
Are there alternatives to Putin?
Not really. It is considered certain that Putin will win another term. Putin is one of four candidates on the ballot, but none of the others pose a realistic challenge. All of his fiercest critics have been forced into exile, imprisoned or have died – such as well-known Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny († 47), who died in prison just a few weeks ago.
Although the outcome of the elections is already certain, the government is waging an intensive campaign to strengthen Putin’s legitimacy at home and abroad. Putin has appeared increasingly in the media in recent weeks, meeting with students, visiting factories and even flying in a nuclear bomber. According to internal Kremlin documents recently published by Estonian news website Delfi, the government spent around one billion euros on propaganda in the run-up to the elections.
Will elections also take place in the occupied Ukrainian territories?
It seems cynical: the Russian presidential elections are taking place on the tenth anniversary of the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. There – and also in the occupied and annexed Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia – the polls were opened a few days ago. This is despite the fact that all these areas are internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.
A Zaporizhia resident complained to the British BBC about pro-Russian collaborators who went door to door with ballot boxes and sought voters accompanied by armed soldiers. «Dear voters, we care about your safety! “You don’t have to go anywhere to vote – we will come to your home with ballot papers and ballot boxes,” the Russian-appointed election commission in the Zaporizhia region said on social media.
Ukrainian Governor of Zaporizhia, Ivan Fyodorov, 35, told the BBC that residents of his partially occupied region are being intimidated into voting: “Our citizens are very scared. If Russians come to their apartment with soldiers and ask if they want to vote for Putin, everyone will of course say yes. Because everyone wants to save their life. But that does not mean that our citizens want to support Putin.”
How do people in Russia defend themselves against Putin?
The ‘High Afternoon Against Putin’ protest is planned before the elections in Russia, as expert Schmid knows. All opposition-minded Russians are urged not to vote against Putin until the last day of the elections, i.e. on Sunday at noon.
“The resulting queues are intended to represent a demonstration against Putin and to show the opposition that they are not alone. However, it is uncertain whether this campaign will be a success,” said Schmid. Even before his death, Navalny also spoke out in favor of carrying out this action.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
