Moscow’s military killed at least 20 people and injured more than 70 with a missile strike on the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Friday, as Russia began a three-day election that will extend the 24-year rule of its autocratic president, Vladimir Putin.
Despite tight control over the elections, people in several regions were detained for pouring dye, paint or other liquid into ballot boxes in an apparent protest. Russian anti-Putin militants said they were continuing a cross-border raid into their homeland from Ukraine, and a Ukrainian drone hit an oil refinery southeast of Moscow in what was at least the fourth such strike on Russian energy infrastructure in the last week.
Ukraine said Odesa was hit by two ballistic missiles fired from Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula illegally annexed by Russia a decade ago. Ten residential buildings were damaged, and rescue workers and a medic were among those killed and wounded when the second missile struck as they attended the scene of the first impact.
“A horrific terrorist tactic to increase the number of casualties,” said Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Emine Dzheppar.
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The attack highlighted Ukraine’s lack of air defence systems and ammunition to protect a country bigger than Germany and Britain combined. The problem has been exacerbated by a months-long freeze on US military aid to Kyiv imposed by Republicans in Congress.
“Again today Russia attacked Odesa, killing innocent civilians and targeting first responders. This cruel attack underscores that Russia will not stop its brazen aggression in Europe. We need to help Ukraine stop Russia now. There is not a moment to lose,” said US ambassador to Kyiv Bridget Brink.
[ Pro-Ukraine Russian fighters launch fresh cross-border raidOpens in new window ]
Russia said voting in its presidential election was taking place in Crimea and four regions of eastern and southeastern Ukraine that it partially controls. Kyiv and its allies say such voting is illegal and will never be recognised by the West.
Mr Putin (71) faces three Kremlin-friendly politicians on the ballot list: Communist Nikolai Kharitonov; Leonid Slutsky, the leader of the nationalist-populist Liberal Democratic party; and “pro-business” candidate Vladislav Davankov.
None of the supposed contenders criticise Mr Putin, however, and two anti-war challengers were barred from running. His main critics have been jailed, exiled or killed during a long crackdown on dissent, and his most influential rival, Alexei Navalny, died suddenly in an Arctic jail last month after barely surviving a poisoning attack in 2020.
His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, has led calls from his supporters for Russians to turn out en masse at polling stations across the country at midday on Sunday for a protest they have called “Noon against Putin”.
Russian militants who want to overthrow Mr Putin said they were continuing operations in Belgorod region, near Russia’s border with Ukraine, and urged locals to evacuate or take to bomb shelters. Moscow says the situation is under control.
“From March 12th until now, the enemy … made several attempts to enter and consolidate on our territory,” Mr Putin said, claiming that the attackers had been “forced back everywhere and … fled with heavy losses”.
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