Putin, 71, has come to dominate Russia's political system and the media over the past two decades. But while the election appears to be a formality, it will be held in an ever more conservative country that has been fundamentally changed by war, where all dissent has been criminalised and with prominent opposition politicians behind bars.
The elections will be different in terms of the ground they cover too, with voting taking place in what Russia calls its new territories; parts of Ukraine now occupied by Russian forces.
"These elections are a means for Putin to legitimise his decision to go the war in Ukraine," said
Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, based in Moscow.
Denne historien er fra January 05, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra January 05, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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"Trail angels' The locals offering help and hope to weary hikers
Donna Barkley was weeks into walking New Zealand's longest hiking trail when her strength started to falter. Starting at the northern tip of the country in mid-October, the American hiker had trudged south along vast empty coastlines, over farmland and through dense forests thick with mud.
Community lifeline for millions displaced by civil war
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'We have proved we can do anything'
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