Russians in Estonia vote in State Duma elections at Tallinn embassy
Russian citizens living in Estonia cast ballots in Russia's State Duma elections at the embassy in Tallinn over the weekend, while a small protest outside called the vote illegal.
Voting in Russia's State Duma elections took place at Russia's embassy in Tallinn over the weekend, allowing Russian citizens residing in Estonia to take part. Estonian broadcaster "Aktuaalne kaamera," reporting through correspondent Anton Aleksejev, spoke with several voters at the scene.
Some voters said that despite doubting the results would be genuine, they felt it was important to keep voting, both to preserve the habit and to hold on to hope for a better future. Another voter explained she decided mainly based on which parties she did not want to support, choosing not to back the ruling United Russia party because of the direction the country is taking, which she said was causing her personal difficulties. Some voters mentioned the Communist Party as an alternative option.
Protest outside the embassy
Opinion among Russian speakers in Estonia was far from unanimous. A small protest took place opposite the embassy, with participants calling the elections illegal. One protester said that during the demonstration, several pensioners who are Russian citizens approached them, calling them fascists and traitors and claiming Ukrainians were also fascists, adding that strongly pro-Russian sentiment still exists among people in Estonia.
Yabloko, the only registered party openly critical of the war, was struck from the ballot last month by Russia's Supreme Court. Observers were denied access to polling stations, and Russia did not invite the OSCE, Europe's main election-monitoring body, to observe.
A total of 333 polling stations opened worldwide across 152 countries on Sunday. In Tallinn, voting was held at the embassy, where Estonian Police and Border Guard Board officers checked and recorded voters' identification. One voter described the checks as very strict and unpleasant.
Early indications pointed to no surprises, with Vladimir Putin's United Russia party facing virtually no real opposition. The electorate numbered around 111 million people, with results also including the four occupied eastern Ukrainian regions and illegally annexed Crimea. Although not a presidential vote, the State Duma election is widely viewed as reinforcing Putin's grip on power at a time when the war in Ukraine is going poorly for Russia.
