The final day of voting for Russia's presidential election begins on the 17th, and will close at dawn on the 18th Japan time, with vote counting beginning.

On the other hand, the opposition is calling for people to demonstrate their intention to protest at noon on the 17th local time, and the government appears to be increasing its vigilance.

There are four candidates in Russia's presidential election, including President Putin, and the three-day voting period from the 15th reached its final day on the 17th.



Russia's Central Election Commission announced that as of the morning of the 17th, more than 60% of voters had voted, and votes will be counted immediately after the deadline at 3 a.m. Japan time on the 18th.



Meanwhile, at polling stations across the country, there have been a number of acts seen as protests against the election, including people setting fires inside buildings and staining ballots by pouring dye into ballot boxes, with independent media reporting that authorities are investigating at least 15 incidents. We are told that we are doing this.



In addition, Yulia, the wife of opposition leader Navalny, who died last month, and support groups are voting for candidates other than President Putin at noon local time on the 17th, and Navalny's name is on the ballot paper. He is calling on his supporters to express their intention to protest against the Putin regime.



Independent media reported that citizens formed long lines at voting stations in Russia's third largest city, Novosibirsk, Siberia, to take part in the protests.



The Putin administration appears to be increasing its vigilance to prevent protests from spreading, hoping to achieve a landslide victory in the election.

Ukrainian protests in annexed Crimea

Russia is also carrying out what it calls an election in Crimea, southern Ukraine, which it unilaterally annexed 10 years ago, and footage from the military port city of Sevastopol filmed by Reuters on the 15th shows several people in uniform at what appears to be a voting center. It shows men visiting and elderly women voting.



In response, protests by the Ukrainian side are spreading in Crimea, and according to Ukrainian media, local activists have burnt more than 2,000 leaflets and other items distributed by the Russian side in the past week urging people to vote.

In Crimea's central cities of Simferopol and Yalta, ballot boxes were reportedly doused with green liquid.



In addition, he posted on social media that he had made and distributed more than 1,000 fake Russian banknotes with the words ``Crimea is Ukraine'' and a picture of a sinking Russian warship on them, and published them on social media, along with photos, in an effort to promote Russia's unilateral annexation of Crimea. shows their intention to protest.



In Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far issued a statement asking Ukrainian citizens there not to participate in activities that it claims are elections, and Prime Minister Shmihaly said at a press conference this month that the international community has rejected Russia's ``fake elections.'' "I believe that the results of the ``Russian activities'' will not be recognized.I urge all countries to condemn and deny Russia's activities.''

What is the reaction of citizens in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine?

In the square of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, tanks and other objects destroyed by the Ukrainian army during the battle when the Russian army approached Kyiv in October are on display.



Citizens who visited the exhibition expressed their dismay and anger towards the Russian presidential election.



An electrician said, ``The Russian political system is corrupt, so there is no chance for candidates other than Putin. It's like a show.''



In addition, a woman who works at a Japanese automobile company said, ``In Ukraine, we chose the president in an election, but in Russia, where only fake elections are held, the people cannot choose.''Putin will become president again, but It's impossible to hold on forever. I believe that judgment will come someday."



A pharmacist from Crimea, which Russia unilaterally annexed 10 years ago, said, ``I still have my mother and family in Crimea, but there is a risk that they may be intercepted by security agencies and pose a danger, so I am not considering this election. "I'm not talking about the activities they claim to be doing. Ukrainians in the occupied territories are sometimes forced to vote. Russia is not a democracy, it's a complete dictatorship, and Putin is a criminal who stole my homeland." I was there.