Navalny's widow joins protesters as voters head to polls on last day of Russian election

Exit poll expected to show Vladimir Putin has won another term in Kremlin
William Mata17 March 2024

Alexei Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya joined thousands in taking part in a protest against Vladimir Putin in Berlin.

Russia’s president will likely be elected for another term on Sunday and intelligence has stated that he has plans to wage war on the West

In an action called "noon against Putin", Russians who oppose the veteran Kremlin leader went to their local polling station at midday to either spoil their ballot paper or to vote for one of the three candidates standing against the incumbent. 

Others had vowed to scrawl the name of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died last month in an Arctic prison, on their voting slip.

Yulia Navalnaya, centre, widow of Alexey Navalny, stands in a queue with other voters at a polling station near the Russian embassy in Berlin
AP

Despite this, an exit poll on Sunday evening will likely confirm that Mr Putin has won by a landslide.

Ms Navalnaya showed up at the Russian embassy to take part in the protest event there along with Kira Yarmysh, Mr Navalny's spokesperson. 

Other Russians present clapped and chanted her name while in London, thousands queued in near silence to vote at the Russian embassy.

A man shows a placard with a photo of opposition leader Alexey Navalny and reading "do not give up"
AP

"We haven't been heard for past 30 years. Nobody listened to us. We moved, we emigrated, and even here, far away from Russia, we feel the consequences of not us not being heard," said voter Natalia Cherednikova.

"This year is so important just to be there for ourselves, even though we all (are) ...fatalistic in terms of the meaning of it and that nobody really cares. It's just for ourselves that we've been here. We have voted. We showed up."

The Kremlin casts Navalny's political allies - most of whom are based outside Russia - as dangerous extremists out to destabilise the country on behalf of the West. 

It says Mr Putin enjoys overwhelming support among ordinary Russians, pointing to opinion polls which put his approval rating above 80 per cent.

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