With the opposition silenced and amid the pogrom the Russian authorities have unleashed against any critical voice since the invasion of Ukraine, Russians voted in local elections held in Russia as well as in the four annexed Ukrainian provinces, where Vladimir’s United Russia party Putin prevailed, according to Moscow.

Russia’s Central Election Commission announced this evening that United Russia had won regional elections in the four annexed Ukrainian provinces.

The president of the Commission, Ella Pamfilova, welcomed the elections that were held “in a dynamic manner, with minimal violations”.

With these elections held over a period of three days – from Friday to this Sunday – Moscow is attempting to legitimize its annexations to Ukraine.

Despite strong condemnations from Kiev and the West, Russia in September 2022 annexed the Ukrainian provinces it partially controls – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson – following “referendums” not recognized by the international community. Kiev and its allies denounced the election as “illegal”.

The current mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, a staunch ally of Putin and in the mayor’s office of the Russian capital since 2010, was re-elected, an election commission official said. “The winner is undoubtedly already known,” said Nikolai Bulayev, congratulating Sobyanin “on such a convincing victory.”

For more than a year and a half, thousands of Russians have been sentenced, in some cases to heavy sentences, for their criticism of the invasion of Ukraine.

No real opposition “outside the system” is represented: dissidents are either in prison or in exile.

Therefore, the results of these elections held for the election of governors, regional parliamentarians and local government elected officials are not expected to bring any surprises.

The election comes just months before Russian presidential elections scheduled for early 2024, which could cement Vladimir Putin in power until 2030.