Russian polls close as Vladimir Puton set to extend rule

• Just standing in a queue at a polling station became an act of protest and of solidarity, James Mates reports

Russian polls have closed after protests at polling stations on the last day of the presidential election.

The election that began Friday has taken place in a tightly controlled environment where there are no real alternatives to Vladimir Putin, no public criticism of him or his war in Ukraine.

Early results on Sunday night showed the Russian president won nearly 88% of the vote.

UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron denounced the election, saying “this is not what free and fair elections look like”.

The result, recorded by Russia’s Central Election Commission, would be a record for Mr Putin, extending his nearly quarter-of-a-century rule for another six-year term.

Earlier at midday, there were long queues outside polling stations as people showed up at the same time to protest against Putin.

The President's fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month, and other critics are either in jail or in exile.

Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya urged those unhappy with Putin or the war to protest by coming to the polls at noon on Sunday, a strategy endorsed by Navalny himself shortly before his death.

Team Navalny described it as a success, releasing pictures and videos of people crowding near polling stations in cities across Russia around noon.

Navalny’s associates broadcast footage with comments by those who turned up at the polls at noon to protest Putin, their faces blurred to protect their identities.

“The action has achieved its goals,” Ivan Zhdanov, the head of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, said in a YouTube broadcast. “The action has shown that there is another Russia, there are people who stand against Putin.”

Another Navalny ally, Leonid Volkov, said that the protest was meant to help unify and encourage those who oppose Putin.

It wasn’t possible to confirm if the voters shown lining up at polling stations in videos and photos released by Navalny’s associates and some Russian media had responded to the protest call, or merely reflected strong turnout.

Huge lines also formed around noon outside Russian diplomatic missions in Berlin, Paris, Milan and other cities with large Russian communities.

Navalnaya joined the line at the Russian Embassy in Berlin as some in the crowd applauded and chanted her name.

In Tallinn, where hundreds stood in a line snaking around the city’s cobbled streets leading to the Russian Embassy, 23-year-old Tatiana said she came to take part in the protest at noon.

“If we have some option to protest I think it’s important to utilize any opportunity,” she said, only giving her first name citing personal security reasons.

The OVD-Info group that monitors political arrests said that more than 65 people were arrested in 16 cities across Russia on Sunday.

Despite tight controls, several dozen cases of vandalism at polling stations were reported.

A woman was arrested in St. Petersburg after she threw a firebomb at a polling station entrance, and several others were detained across the country for throwing green antiseptic or ink into ballot boxes.

Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of the Russian Security Council chaired by Putin, called for toughening the punishment for those who vandalize polling stations, arguing they should face treason charges for attempting to derail the vote amid the fighting in Ukraine.

Some Russian media also posted images of spoiled ballots posted by voters, with “killer and thief” inscribed on one, and “waiting for you in The Hague” written on another, in a reference to an arrest warrant issued for Putin on war crimes charges related to his alleged responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

Ahead of the election, Putin cast his war in Ukraine, now in its third year, as a life-or-death battle against the West seeking to break up Russia.

Russian troops have recently made slow advances relying on their edge in firepower, while Ukraine has fought back by intensifying cross-border attacks and launching drone strikes deep inside Russia.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...