Russians head to the polls amidst crackdown on dissent

Voters across Russia participated in an election over the weekend, marking the second day of a process expected to formalise six more years of power for Vladimir Putin. 

With no serious challengers in sight, Putin's victory seems all but assured, further entrenching his power.

However, the election takes place against a backdrop of a relentless crackdown on dissent, which has seen independent media outlets shuttered and rights activists silenced. The death of Putin's fiercest critic, Alexei Navalny, in February, as well as the imprisonment or exile of other critics, underscores the extent of the regime's hold over the country.

Putin, 71, faces only token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties, as he has framed the conflict in Ukraine, now in its third year, as an existential battle against Western powers.

The war in Ukraine manifested on Russia's streets during the election, as Ukrainian drone and missile attacks struck the country. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported two deaths in Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border, with dozens more casualties recorded since the conflict's inception. 

Additionally, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an oil refinery belonging to Russian oil giant Rosneft in the Samara region, over a thousand kilometres southeast of Moscow.