Over 50 Russians have been detained amid demonstrations across Russia today as critics of Vladimir Putin head to the polls to protest his regime.
Up to 51 have been detained across 14 Russian cities today. There are at least 23 detainees in Kazan and ten in Moscow, according to the OVD-Info protest-monitoring group.
Known as “Noon Against Putin”, Russian citizens frustrated with the leader’s rule are being called to head to the voting booths all at the same time: Midday, 17 March, or 9am UK time.
“We want this dark time to end. We want a clear, normal future,” the campaign’s website says. “But we, citizens of our country, with our pain and our hope, are not noticeable either to the authorities or to each other.
“At noon on Sunday, 17 March, the last day of voting, when we come to the polling stations, we will show others and see for ourselves that there are many of us . We can become a force that cannot be hidden behind drawn percentages.”
It comes as Russia claimed Ukraine had fired up to four drones at Moscow as part of “terrorist activity” to disrupt the Kremlin’s sham election.