NewsProtests and cyber-attacks mar Putin's expected election victory
Protests and cyber-attacks mar Putin's expected election victory
12:11 PM EDT, March 16, 2024
As reported by the Vecherniye Vedomosti newspaper, a woman was detained at a polling station in Yekaterinburg, Russia. She attempted to pour paint into the ballot box amid the ongoing presidential elections, where Vladimir Putin is the clear favourite.
Voting at Russian polling stations will last until March 17. Voters are presented with four candidates for president. However, it's widely acknowledged that the elections are a sham, with Vladimir Putin set to continue his rule.
The Russian elections have been marked by various absurdities. The "Nexta" portal reported an incident in Chelyabinsk where, upon the request of an "independent observer," a clock featuring Vladimir Putin's likeness—a piece considered to be election campaigning—was removed.
In another incident in Yekaterinburg, a woman was detained for trying to pour paint into the ballot box, a bold act of dissent.
The detained woman is a Doctor of Sciences and a professor at the Ural Federal University. She is currently being held at the police station, facing criminal charges.
"Unfortunately, such individual acts of protest cannot bring about change. I truly sympathize with this courageous woman, who stands out among millions. If tens or hundreds of thousands were to protest, they could make a difference. Sadly, the dissenters are few," emphasizes Anton Heraszczenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, on social media.
Ukrainians claim a major success: "The voting system is down"
According to a Saturday report from the Ukrinform agency, citing a source within the GUR, Ukrainian military intelligence's computer specialists have hacked the Russian state services system. This system supports the electronic voting in the presidential elections.
"The Russian state services page is down. The voting system is down. GUR computer specialists have bypassed all security measures. This disruption will continue until voting ends,” the source highlighted.
