In a surprising turn of events, it appears that Russia may be moving to prevent the only remaining anti-war candidate, Boris Nadezhdin, from running in the upcoming presidential election. Election officials have rejected a significant number of signatures submitted by Nadezhdin's campaign, indicating that he may be disqualified from running. This decision comes as a result of concerns that Nadezhdin's popularity could potentially impact perceptions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his stance on the war in Ukraine.

On Monday, a working group from the Russian Central Election Commission invalidated almost 10,000 signatures, which amounted to more than 15% of the total initially submitted by Nadezhdin's campaign. This rejection, along with the working group's recommendation to bar Nadezhdin from running, could mark the end of his candidacy. The final decision from the commission is expected to be released later this week.

Nadezhdin and his campaign have swiftly responded, vowing to verify enough signatures to qualify and appealing to the Russian Supreme Court in case the commission does reject his candidacy. According to Russian election law, candidates are required to gather 100,000 signatures to run, and Nadezhdin's campaign claims to have gathered 180,000 signatures. The support he received from tens of thousands of anti-war Russians, who braved the freezing cold in January to help him get on the ballot, was remarkable and served as a powerful message to the Kremlin and Putin.

Critics have accused Russian authorities of manipulating and rigging elections, and this move to bar Nadezhdin from running further supports these allegations. Some top officials have implied that only candidates who align relatively with Putin's positions or do not overshadow him have been allowed on the ballot. Speaking out or running against Putin can have dire consequences, as seen with opposition leader Alexei Navalny who is currently in jail.

The war in Ukraine, now entering its second year, has resulted in a staggering number of Russian casualties, estimated at 315,000 by the US. Additionally, Russia has suffered significant equipment losses, which have caused lasting damage to its military forces.

Overall, the decision to bar Nadezhdin from the presidential election suggests that the Kremlin may be concerned about the impact his candidacy could have on Putin's votes, potentially diminishing his margin of victory. As the final decision looms, the fate of Nadezhdin's campaign remains uncertain, leaving many observers questioning the level of fairness and democracy in Russia's electoral process.