As the second day of Russia's presidential election approaches, tensions are rising as a result of a missile strike carried out by the Ukrainian government that resulted in the deaths of two people in western Russia and a separate drone attack that ignited an oil refinery. President Vladimir Putin has made allegations that the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is seeking to interfere with the election, which is largely anticipated to ensure that he will remain in power for another six years. However, the event has been marked by sporadic demonstrations, which casts a shadow on the win that Putin was expecting to achieve.
Ella Pamfilova, who is in charge of the election commission, reported a number of occurrences that contributed to the climate of discontent. These incidents included attempted arson cases, smoke bomb incidents, and several instances of tampering with ballot boxes. The governor of the Belgorod region confirmed the murders of a man and a woman in the region, which has grown all too acquainted with attacks that cross the border from Ukraine. Fires were seen raging and air raid sirens could be heard blasting through the streets of Belgorod city, according to footage obtained by Reuters.
It was disclosed by Dmitry Azarov, the governor of the Samara area, that the Syzran refinery was on fire, while another refinery narrowly escaped an attack. The occurrence of these instances demonstrates that Ukraine is capable of striking far within Russian territory, with a special focus on crucial energy infrastructure. When drone attacks occurred earlier in the week, they caused two major refineries to catch fire, which seriously disrupted operations.
It was stated by the Russian Ministry of Defense that Ukrainian attempts to break through the border and enter the Belgorod region were effectively repelled. In reaction to the escalating tensions, Governor Gladkov has announced that schools would be closed on Monday and Tuesday across the majority of the region. Additionally, commercial centers in Belgorod city will be closed on Sunday and Monday.
The most recent escalation comes after the bloodiest attack in weeks, which occurred on Friday. Missiles struck a residential neighborhood in Odesa, Ukraine, resulting in over 20 deaths and 70 injuries. Even if there are three other candidates on the ballot, none of them are anything that could be considered a real threat to Putin's control. Supporters of Alexei Navalny, the head of the opposition, have referred to the election as a farce and are planning to stage large-scale demonstrations around the country on Sunday.
The unrest was attributed to Ukrainian intelligence and its international partners, according to Pamfilova, who referred to those who caused the disruption as "scumbags" and threatened them with possible prison sentences of five years. United Russia, the ruling party, has blocked non-essential services in response to what it has termed as extensive denial-of-service attacks. This comes in the wake of allegations of cyberattacks. Government officials have thrown the finger of blame at Ukraine and Western nations, citing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in Western Europe and North America that were involved in the cyber warfare.
At the same time that tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to simmer, the presidential election is taking place against a backdrop of violence and accusations, which raises concerns about the stability of the region as well as the integrity of the electoral process.