"Russian Voters Express Discontent in Anti-Putin Protests"

Russian voters formed long lines outside polling stations in major cities during the presidential election, heeding a call by opposition leaders to protest the rubber-stamp process that is expected to keep Vladimir Putin in power for a fifth term. The opposition urged supporters to show up at midday to express dissatisfaction with the lack of real competition in the election, emphasizing that simply appearing at the polling station was a safe way to express discontent in a country that has escalated repression since its invasion of Ukraine.