Rising ballot box sabotage amid Russian presidential elections
The number of incidents involving damage to ballot boxes and voting slips during the ongoing presidential elections in Russia is on the rise. In Moscow, two notable incidents were reported: a ballot box was set ablaze, and voting slips were drenched in ink.
7:44 AM EDT, March 16, 2024
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Many statements by Russian media or representatives of the authorities are seen as propaganda. These reports are part of the information war waged by the Russian Federation.
Across Russia, ballot boxes have been systematically set on fire and doused with paint. Such actions have been observed in both small towns and major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Presidential elections in Russia: Numerous reports
The Astra channel released a video from St. Petersburg, showing a woman hurling a Molotov cocktail at an election station. The propaganda site Frontanka.ru alleges that a student from the "Far East of Russia was instructed by a Ukrainian Telegram channel to set the station on fire".
"Within just 20 minutes, three attempts to set fire to election stations in Russia were discovered. Besides St. Petersburg, attempts were made in Moscow and Khanty-Mansiysk.
Footage of an attempted arson of a ballot box in Moscow:
According to SotaVision and Baza, the incident occurred at polling station No. 1527 in the southeastern area of Moscow.
"The surveillance footage captured a woman pouring flammable liquid into a voting booth and then recording the entire act with her phone," it was reported.
"A woman splashed a ballot box with green paint at one of the polling stations in Simferopol," reports Baza. "The woman was detained, and the event was confirmed by the press service of the Crimean Election Commission".
"Ballot boxes were splattered with green paint and ink at several polling stations in Moscow, Voronezh, and Karachay-Cherkessia. All three saboteurs were detained, and criminal proceedings under Article 141 have already been initiated against one," the channel Mash described further incidents.
Setting fire to a voting slip
In Moscow, a woman set her voting slip on fire after inscribing, "Give me back my husband".
The destruction of voting slips also occurred in Volzhsky, in the Volgograd Oblast.
An arson attempt was reported in Mytishchi. "An elderly woman tried to ignite a ballot box with gasoline," Astra reported.
Another attempt to set a ballot box ablaze occurred in the city of Kogalym, in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.
Addressing the sabotage
Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, addressed the attacks, stating, "We alerted all commission to involve the Russian guard to enhance the security of ballot boxes when these incidents began." She blamed "individuals from abroad" who were "unaware of the criminal responsibilities of their actions".
"They confessed to being motivated by money. All assailants have been detained, the Investigative Committee is opening criminal cases, and the assailants could face up to five years in prison," Pamfilova declared emphatically.
The voter turnout in the presidential elections across the Russian Federation at 4 PM Moscow time stood at 23.02 percent.
