Putin loyalists set to win local elections in war-affected Russian regions

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(Reuters) – Supporters of President Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine were set to win gubernatorial races across Russia, according to early vote counts on Sunday, including in Kursk where Ukrainian forces have seized control of some towns and territory.

Russia’s three-day local and regional elections came to an end on Sunday evening, with voters expected to elect Kremlin-backed candidates in all 21 gubernatorial races, as well as legislative assembly members in 13 regions and city council officials across the country.

Results of the tightly controlled elections are already being interpreted in Russia as a vote of confidence in Putin and his operation in Ukraine, now in its third year – just as was the election in March that extended his presidential term and voting a year ago.

“Let’s be honest: there is a war going on. Our task is to defeat our enemy,” Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and now the chairman of the ruling United Russia party said on Sunday, as cited by the TASS state news agency.

“It is extremely important not to lose the trust of the citizens of Russia, our comrades, during this period.”

In the border Kursk region, which together with the Kremlin was caught by surprise in August by an ongoing incursion by Ukrainian forces, the acting governor leads the race with more than half of the vote counted.

Alexei Smirnov, who has led the region since May, has received nearly 66% of the vote so far, according to data from the Russian Central Election Commission.

In the Lipetsk region in Russia’s southwest – a frequent target of Ukrainian drone attacks – the current governor and United Russia candidate, Igor Artamonov, has received 80% of votes with nearly all votes counted.

Former Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, also of United Russia, is leading in the by-election to the lower-house State Duma, in the border Bryansk region, another area frequently affected by Ukrainian air attacks.