Russia’s municipal and regional elections kicked off on Friday for three days, to elect governors and heads of regional parliaments.
The elections are also held in annexed areas including Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Political experts said that these elections this year hold an importance as they are likely to be interpreted by authorities as a vote of confidence in President Vladimir Putin, in the light of the military operation Ukraine.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin is the top candidate expected to win the elections, especially after he turned the capital into one of the most beautiful and stable cities.
The elections sees the participation of 85,000 candidates for different governmental positions across the country, including the Russian parliament (Duma).
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)
