Sept 9 (Askume) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wartime supporters in Ukraine appear to be winning governor’s races, including in Kursk, where Ukrainian soldiers are fighting for control, according to preliminary vote counting on Sunday.
Three days of local and regional elections in Russia ended on Sunday evening, with voters expected to select Kremlin-backed candidates for all 21 governorships as well as members of legislative assemblies and city council officials in 13 regions of the country.
Now in its third year, the tightly controlled election results were interpreted in Russia as a vote of confidence in Putin and his handling of Ukraine –His presidential term was extended in the March election , with voting taking place a year early .
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the ruling United Russia party, said on Sunday: “To be honest, there is a war going on. Our task is to defeat our enemies,” the TASS state news agency reported.
“During this period, it is extremely important not to lose the trust of our compatriots, Russian citizens.”
In the border Kursk region, where the Kremlin was surprised by the Ukrainian army’s sustained offensive in August , the acting governor is ahead with more than half the votes counted.
Alexey Smirnov, who has led the region since May, has received about 66% of the vote so far, according to Russia’s Central Election Commission.
In Russia’s southwestern Lipetsk region – a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes – incumbent governor and United Russia candidate Igor Artamonov received 80 percent of the vote, with almost all votes counted.
Oleg Matyushin, a former sports minister and member of the United Russia party, is leading in a by-election for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in the border Bryansk region, which is also regularly hit by Ukrainian air strikes.
