Fighting on the border between Russia and Ukraine is underway on Thursday and a new drone attack targeted the Russian region of Belgorod, killing at least two people, a few hours before the opening of polling stations for the presidential election .
Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his compatriots not to “deviate from the path” during the vote, a barely veiled allusion to his own candidacy.
Armed incursions and air raids have increased in recent days, sometimes far from Ukraine, and come as Russians are called to the polls from Friday to Sunday for a vote intended to triumphantly re-elect Mr. Putin.
The Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) said Thursday it was fighting alongside border guards and soldiers to “counter an attack by enemy diversionary groups near the town of Tiotkino” in the Kursk region.
Offensives against this border village carried out by units coming from Ukraine and claiming to be composed of anti-Kremlin Russians had already taken place on Tuesday. Moscow claimed to have repelled them and to have decimated the attackers.
The “Freedom of Russia Legion”, one of the groups behind previous armed incursions, called on Thursday for the evacuation of civilians in this area and promised to “liberate the Russian regions” of Belgorod and Kursk.
For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry published an undated video purporting to show the defeat of forces attempting to infiltrate Russia.
Strong explosions and tanks are visible in these images presented as having been filmed in the Belgorod region, but whose location cannot be authenticated.
“Difficult times”
At the same time, drone attacks are increasing in Russian border regions but also hundreds of kilometers from the front, kyiv having sworn to take the fight to Russian territory in retaliation for the bombings that Ukraine has been suffering for more than two years.
The Belgorod region and its capital of the same name are particularly targeted. On Thursday, two civilian deaths and nine injuries were recorded by the authorities after night and daytime attacks.
In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday during a press conference that the countries of the Atlantic Alliance were not giving “enough ammunition” to Ukraine, and that this had consequences. “consequences every day on the battlefield”.
In this tense context, Vladimir Putin, at the helm of Russia for 24 years, judged Thursday “critical not to turn away from the path” and to vote to express “a civil and patriotic position” and “confirm our unity and determination to move forward.
Mr. Putin will face three insignificant candidates who oppose neither the Ukrainian offensive nor the repression which has eradicated all forms of opposition, and culminated with the death in prison of the Kremlin’s number one detractor, Alexei. Navalny, end of February.
Two young Russians, accused of links with Mr. Navalny’s organization banned for “extremism”, were sentenced to 3 and a half years in prison, Russian media reported on Thursday, a new illustration of systemic repression.
Mr. Putin, who presents the conflict he is waging in his neighbor as a war against the West in which Russia is at stake for its survival, spoke of the “difficult times” that the Russians are experiencing, without detailing them.
The Russian economy, under international sanctions, has certainly recovered but it is focused on the war effort, Moscow’s offensive having entered its third year while the Kremlin thought it could subdue Ukraine in a few days.
Ukrainian diplomacy called on the international community on Thursday to reject the result of the Russian presidential election, describing the vote as a “farce”.
Navalnaya appeal
On the front, Mr. Putin presents recent conquests, in particular the capture of the town of Avdiivka in February, as proof that his military campaign is on the right track, despite significant losses.
Russian forces are on the offensive and are advancing step by step in eastern Ukraine, particularly due to the running out of Western aid.
The presidential vote, which extends over three days, begins with the opening of polling stations in the Far East at 8 a.m. local Friday (8 p.m. GMT Thursday) and ends with the closing of those in Kaliningrad on Sunday at 6 p.m. h GMT.
In the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia, early voting has been underway since the end of February.
The Kremlin’s detractors will not be able to make themselves heard. The only real opponent to have tried to run, Boris Nadejdine, saw his candidacy rejected by the authorities.
Alexeï Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaïa, who vowed to continue her fight, therefore called on Russians to protest by voting for any candidate except Putin.
Wives of Russian soldiers mobilized in Ukraine and demanding their return have joined this call.
However, there is no doubt about the election of Mr. Putin. The vote must keep him in power until 2030. Following a constitutional reform, he will be able to run again and remain in power until 2036, the year he turns 84.