In a shocking revelation, a Ukrainian citizen, Mykola, claims that his vote was faked for Russian President Vladimir Putin during the presidential election in March 2024. This allegation comes amidst reports of widespread vote rigging in the Russia-occupied parts of four Ukrainian regions and in Russia itself, documented by rare and heavily persecuted independent monitors.

Mykola was informed by his elderly parents, who opted to remain under Russian occupation, that his name was listed as a voter in the election. They revealed how masked, heavily armed servicemen accompanied election officials on the streets, urging residents to complete early ballots. Mykola's parents also disclosed that government employees were coerced into voting and required to provide photo reports of their ballots with Putin's name ticked off.

Vote rigging in the Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine reflects a pattern of similar practices documented in Russia, including coercion, ballot stuffing, and the use of "carousels" to transport groups of people to multiple polling stations.

Revelations of the election fraud extend beyond Ukraine's borders into Russia. In the 2012 presidential vote in a northern Moscow suburb, a reporter witnessed busloads of men, some visibly intoxicated, loudly declaring their loyalty to Putin. Later, these same individuals arrived at a different polling station, raising suspicions of orchestrated voting.

Officially, 110 million Russians were eligible to vote in the recent election, with 87.1 million casting their ballots either at polling stations or through an electronic voting system, according to Russia's chief election official, Ella Pamfilova. She reported that almost 65 million votes were in favor of Putin. However, independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, utilizing a mathematical model developed by election monitor Sergey Shpilkin, claimed that at least 31.6 million votes for Putin were falsified. The model examines discrepancies between voter turnout and candidate votes, indicating an abnormal spike in voting solely for Putin.

Novaya Gazeta declared that this year's election surpassed all previous records of vote rigging, labeling it "a record amount of vote falsification at a presidential vote in Russia." Golos, Russia's last independent election monitor, characterized the election as the least constitutional since Putin assumed power in 2000, citing an imitation of freedom of choice, transparency, and independence in the electoral process.

Critics argue that the fraudulent election results serve to validate Putin's rule but expose his insecurity as a leader. Jailed Putin critic Ilya Yashin contended that the "elections" aimed to make the anti-war segment of the public apathetic, highlighting the Kremlin's desperate attempts to appear legitimate.

Despite the allegations of vote rigging, the election revealed a significant shift in public opinion, with a move towards supporting a more aggressive stance. Nikolay Mitrokhin of Germany's Bremen University attributed this to a successful propaganda campaign, bolstered by Ukraine's bombings of border regions, prompting even previously neutral Russians to seek "Russia's unambiguous victory."

Russia's economy has also played a role in Putin's popularity, with resilience against Western sanctions and moderate gains on the front lines in 2023 and early 2024. The high oil prices and increased military spending have stimulated the economy, resulting in a consumption boom observed in Moscow.

However, the excitement is met with caution, as uncertainties loom over the future. The availability of sanctioned Western goods and the utilization of alternative payment methods have contributed to the current economic boom, but concerns persist that this prosperity might be short-lived.

The allegations of widespread vote rigging in the recent Russian presidential election have raised concerns about the legitimacy of the process and the intentions of those in power. As investigations and further analysis unfold, the extent of electoral fraud and its implications will continue to be scrutinized domestically and internationally.