At the entrance stood a large banner emblazoned with the letter “V” in the colors of the Russian flag and stating the dates of this Friday-Sunday election.
But a big turnout would be seen as legitimizing the war and would help to solidify the notion that the country is united around its president, already the longest serving Kremlin leader since Stalin.
On the eve of the election, Putin, 71, appealed to feelings of patriotism and duty in a special video message, as he encouraged people to vote and demonstrate unity.
The most likely protest will center on a call for Russians to show up en masse at polling stations at noon on Sunday in all of the country’s 11 time zones, in a silent display of their discontent.
Perhaps most troublesome for the Kremlin, this week has seen a surge in Ukrainian drone attacks across large parts of Russia, and attempts at a land incursion in the two border regions of Belgorod and Kursk that appear to be ongoing after several days of fighting.
For the first time, people in the four occupied regions of Ukraine annexed by Russia will also be included, in violation of international law in a move condemned by Kyiv and its Western allies.
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