The first polling stations have opened in the Russian Far East for a three-day presidential election. Despite this lack of suspense in the result, local authorities are concerned about the smooth running of a vote that has become a boon for the Kremlin's adversaries.
In Ryazan, south of Moscow, the war was still felt 48 hours ago, while the government says it guarantees normal life, especially when going to vote. In this strange climate, hundreds of thousands of police officers and members of the FSB are mobilized to minimize or conceal any irregularities that could hamper the plebiscite.