"Coerced Voting: Ukrainians Under Russian Occupation Pressured to Support Putin"
Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied regions are being coerced to vote in the presidential election of Vladimir Putin, with reports of people being forced to vote at gunpoint and threatened with withheld benefits or arrest if they refuse. The Kremlin views the voting as a "test of loyalty" and is eager for high turnout to signify control and present Putin as a legitimate leader. The election is taking place under highly distorted and restrictive conditions, with no international election observers in Ukraine. The Russian government is prodding Ukrainians to vote "for their president" and promoting the election with a "V" symbol in the colors of the Russian flag.