Vladimir Putin attended a concert in Moscow’s Red Square marking the 10th anniversary of Crimea’s annexation.
The Russian president walked on the stage with three candidates from Kremlin-friendly parties after the preliminary results gave him an expected landslide victory in this weekend’s sham elections.
Speaking on stage, he claimed the Ukrainian regions Russia took control of after sending troops to the country in 2022 wanted to join Russia together with Crimea 10 years ago but their path had been “more difficult and tragic”.