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Voter Suppression in Ukraine: Russians Barred From Voting in Kеy Ukrainian Cities

As expected, in Ukraine, Russians are not allowed to go to polling stations in diplomatic missions in Kiev, Kharkiv, Odessa, and Lviv. That is, the Ukrainian authorities have fulfilled their promises to prevent voting. In the evening, the Russian Central Election Commission also reported receiving information about damaging Russian property, in particular, of our diplomats' cars. A few hours ago, the National Guard in Odessa has announced that a bomb had been found near the consulate-general of Russia, which paralyzed all the traffic towards the diplomatic mission. Later it turned out that there was no bomb. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly sent a letter to Kiev on its decision not to allow Russian citizens to the polling stations in Ukraine, as reported by the Russian CEC. It doesn't also rule out a possibility to turn to the UN regarding Kiev's actions. Ukrainian ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova didn't see that Russian citizens in Ukraine were prevented from participating in the Russian presidential election. Artyom Potyomin has the details about what happened today in Ukraine. Never before have the Russian diplomatic missions in Ukraine been guarded so well. The police and the National Guard are guarding the consulate in Lviv. As an additional precaution, the adjacent territory was fenced off. Passports are meticulously checked at the entrance. Only people on the list are let in. The voters really do need protection. National Corps activists, holding true to their habits, put a tent and barrels in front of the building. They wanted to arrange, as they put it, a 'walk of shame' for those wishing to vote. However, they spent all the day there. Tired of waiting and wishing to warm up, they decided to burn something that looked more like a dollhouse. Although, they tried to convince the journalists that it was a model of the Kremlin. The Kharkiv radicals were hostile as well. They blocked the polling station, saying that everyone who wants to vote must go through a map of Ukraine covered with blood. By the way, the nationalists covered the model of their country with the red liquid on their own. The National Guard at the diplomatic mission only smiled in embarrassment. However, some Russian citizens still managed to find counter-arguments, to which the picketers had nothing to answer. Semen Antonov: "Here's my Russian passport. I came here. I want this. Here it is. Is it a Soviet one? Yes, it is. And who would you vote for? That's my business. This is my right. I'll tell you what I'll vote for. I'll vote for friendship between Ukraine and Russia". Firewood, tires, the continuous smell of burning, and rows of young men wrapped in balaclavas, which only reveal their eyes. Kiev decided to resurrect the memory of the events that happened four years ago. Though, activists moved from the Maidan to the Russian embassy. It is symbolic that they distributed tickets with the phrase "Welcome to Hell". "I asked if I could pass, they said I couldn't as the access was limited due to some events". It was Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov who ordered not let the Russians through to the polls. In total, 72,000 citizens of Russia are currently on the consular register in Ukraine, but in reality, there are more than 200,000 of our compatriots in Ukraine who have the right to vote. Moscow called Kiev's behavior unlawful, contradicting international norms, and disgraceful for a civilized country. It's noteworthy that the diplomats and citizens of Russia respected Avakov's request. Not a single offense or provocation during the election was detected for their part. Artyom Potyomin for Vesti.

Voter Suppression in Ukraine: Russians Barred From Voting in Kеy Ukrainian Cities
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