Ukraine and Putin’s show of force in the annexed regions: “United Russia won the elections by an overwhelming majority.”

The international community considered this tour illegal. Moreover, verifying the authenticity of votes is impossible. But on the Russian side, the demands over the election results are loud. According to the news agency RIA NovostiThe United Russia party, headed by Vladimir Putin, received 80% of the votes in the Zaporizhia region, 74% in the Kherson region, 75% in Luhansk, and 79% in Donetsk. However, the data that Russian propaganda relies on is turnout data: in the annexed regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, three out of every four citizens sent ballots by mail, while turnout in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions exceeded 60%. %. These are percentages that are impossible to verify and seem very high, if we take into account that a large part of the voting areas is exposed to bombing and field fighting. In addition to the territories seized from Ukraine, voting was also held in 48 other Russian regions and republics. Even in these passages, United Russia’s success was indisputable, despite Alexei Navalny, a rival who has been imprisoned for two and a half years, pleading with Russians to go and vote to support “every candidate against United Russia.” . Today’s elections, September 10, are viewed by many as a dress rehearsal for the presidential elections next March: on that occasion, Putin is expected to run for a fifth term as president of the Union.