and, with the result all but guaranteed — we'll take a look at what putin's hold on the country means for the people of russia and ukraine. hello, i'm caitriona perry. 2024 is the year of elections. more than half the world are taking to the polls with elections in more than 64 countries. many will be tightly fought. but this weekend's ballot in russia, will not. russians are now casting their ballots for president. 112 million people are eligible to vote — among them, residents of what russia's is claiming as its new territories in the east of ukraine. territories that ukraine is still fighting hard to gain back control of. ukraine and its allies say they will not recognise the election�*s results.

with vladimir putin's opponents in exile, in prison or — dead, like outspoken opposition leader alexei navalny, putin's victory is practically certain. if mr putin serves out the full six year term he's likely to win, he'll become the longest—serving russian leader since catherine the great. over the next half hour we will look at the impact of the election for those in russia, ukraine and around the world. but first, we start our coverage with this report from our russia editor, steve rosenberg in moscow. russia's democracy is the best in the world, the kremlin says. and at polling station 38 in moscow, we found a choice of candidates and plenty of voters. democracy in action, right? not quite. realistically, only one man can win this. vladimir putin! the man who's been on russia's political stage for the last quarter of a century. vladimir putin faces no serious challenger. his fiercest rivals are in exile or in prison.

not that this woman, whose son is fighting in ukraine, wants any change at the top. "of course i voted for putin," she says. "i trust him." but not everyone who came out today was actually voting. this, one of a string of attacks on polling stations across russia. they are unprecedented. after chaotic scenes here... ..an arsonist is detained. and green ink poured into a ballot box. the authorities called the attackers scum. some voters were greeted with a show. well, it's one way to bang the drum for russian elections. there is voting, too, in parts of ukraine, which are under russian occupation — what russia calls

its new territories. the ukrainian government called the election here illegal. polls close on sunday night. expect a putin landslide. unpredictability is very much a feature of life now in russia, but that does not apply to elections. the political system here is built around one man — vladimir putin — and the kremlin tightly controls that system, including elections. so mr putin's re—election is not in doubt. and neither is the message the kremlin will be sending after this. that vladimir putin has the full support of his people. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. earlier i spoke with ambassadorjohn tefft, rand�*s distinguished chair in diplomacy & security, and former us ambassador to russia and ukraine for his thoughts on the election. thank you for being with us. there are three other names on

the ballot paper but given that this election will most likely lead to vladimir putin's fifth term in office setting him up to be the longest serving leader since katherine the great in the 1700s, what is important about this particular election? these elections are important to vladimir putin because he looks at them as a form of legitimation or validation, if you will, of his status as the unchallenged leader of russia. we all know the results of the election will be and if we had any question about making that the case we saw that with the candidacy of the politician, nadezhin who got the requisite number of votes but the central election committee found some technical problems which disqualified him. he had come out against the war. clearly he was not going to be allowed to run as a protest candidate. so,

fundamentally, i think putin wants to show the international world and also his own people and his elites that he is still the unchallenged leader of russia. ., ., russia. you mentioned him sendina russia. you mentioned him sending a — russia. you mentioned him sending a message - russia. you mentioned him sending a message to - russia. you mentioned him sending a message to the l sending a message to the international world but no significant international observers are present to overseas these elections. the main opposition leaders are eitherjailed, exiled or in the case of navalny, dead. what impact has his killing had on vladimir putin's standing in russia? in vladimir putin's standing in russia? ., ., ., russia? in the international world it had _ russia? in the international world it had a _ russia? in the international world it had a substantial i world it had a substantial impact, the fact that he was sentenced and moved to an arctic prison which, when i read that the first time i said to my wife i said this is a death sentence. there is no way he will survive living up there. they are horrible conditions. and, you know, sadly alexei navalny died. but

alexis navalny looms over this all. i was reading earlier today accounts that on sunday at noon opponents of the election are going to go en masse or are urged to go en masse or are urged to go en masse to try to vote at the same time, to flood the ballot boxes, the polling places with people as a form of protest. apparently the night before he died alexei navalny endorsed this strategy. so we will see what happens on sunday. put into context _ what happens on sunday. put into context for us the level of bravery, or courage, that it takes to manage that type of protest in vladimir putin's russia. , , ., , russia. many people have been struck by the — russia. many people have been struck by the number _ russia. many people have been struck by the number of - russia. many people have been struck by the number of people | struck by the number of people who went in the valley —— novello's funeral. the thousands who have gone to put flowers on his grave. today i

saw that there have been several cases already have people in russia going to polling places and putting their ballot and then putting into the box and then pouring either green dye or in a couple of cases where they actually lit the ballot box on fire as a form of protest. those people were arrested and will obviously be published. we are at a point now in russia where the repression against anybody who protests the war or the election will be pretty severe. the repression is higher now thanit the repression is higher now than it had been in any time since the end of the soviet union. ., , ., ,., ._ union. voting is also under way in the regions _ union. voting is also under way in the regions of _ union. voting is also under way in the regions of ukraine - union. voting is also under way in the regions of ukraine that l in the regions of ukraine that moscow has seized and occupied and ukraine has called those elections illegal. what is your view of that? i elections illegal. what is your view of that?— view of that? i think the ukrainians _ view of that? i think the ukrainians are - view of that? i think the ukrainians are correct. i view of that? i think the - ukrainians are correct. these are illegal and there have been accounts that in order for

people to get passports, to get any kind of service they have to be required to be pressed hard to actually vote. in this case it is not that they want them to stay away. they want them to stay away. they want them to stay away. they want them to be there so that they can show that these regions, the four oblasts that putin annexed, that they are part of russia. this is the other big thing that we will probably see throughout this election, and i suspect it is one of the kremlin's real goal which is to show that putin's war in ukraine is in fact supported by a large body of russians. in fact i think we know from poles and other people in russia who have analysed this, there are many people who are acquiescing. as long as the water is not them it is no big

deal. but i think the kremlin will use this as a means to demonstrate and show that in fact the russian people quote unquote support the special military operation, as it is called, inside ukraine. thank ou for called, inside ukraine. thank you forjoining _ called, inside ukraine. thank you forjoining us _ called, inside ukraine. thank you forjoining us with - called, inside ukraine. thank you forjoining us with your i you forjoining us with your thoughts. you forjoining us with your thoughts-— you forjoining us with your thou~hts. . ~' ,, , . thoughts. thank you very much for having _ thoughts. thank you very much for having me. _ the kremlin has been trying to prove that it can successfully stage elections despite the war in ukraine — including holding voting in the ukrainian regions that moscow's forces have seized and now occupy. more than 50 un member states officially condemned russia bid to hold a presidential poll in occupied ukraine, including the us and the uk. the state department says the united states will not recognise the legitimacy or outcome of the elections in those sovereign ukraine regions. the start of the voting came hours after one of the deadliest russian strikes yet on the ukrainian port city of odesa, which killed at least 20 people when two rockets fired from crimea struck a residential area. our correspondent, sarah

rainsford is in kyiv with more. this is the deadliest attack in some time on odesa. and it is the details that are particularly grim, because ukrainian officials are saying two missiles were fired by russia from crimea — the first one landed on the city, and it was when emergency teams rushed to the spot that a second missile was fired from crimea and hit exactly the same place. now we know that a medic was killed, a young firefighter was also amongst those killed and injured. many dozens of people are in hospital. now we are being told that those missiles were fired from crimea — we are saying we don't know exactly what russia was targeting, but we do know there were some interior ministry personnel amongst the casualties. now president zelensky has called this a vile attack, saying ukraine's military will respond, but i do think it is a stark reminder of what that vote in russia means for here in ukraine. because of course, more

vladimir putin in the kremlin means more war here in ukraine, more missile attacks, and more days like today in odesa, with dozens dead and injured. in the west, the election is largely seen as a sham. observers have little to no expectation the election will be free and fair. long before the polls close, the president of the european council charles michel wrote friday on x: "would like to congratulate vladimir putin on his landslide victory in the elections starting today. no opposition. no freedom. no choice." the organisation for security and cooperation in europe's monitors were not invited, and only registered candidates or state—backed advisory bodies can assign observers to polling stations, lowering the likelihood of independent watchdogs. let's go live now to angela stent senior fellow at the brookings institution and author of putin's world: russia against the west and with the rest and a former national intelligence officer

for russia and eurasia. thank you forjoining us on bbc news. as we said there are no independent observers, no real acquisition. how do world leaders view what is happening in russia this weekend? it depends where there. certainly in the west the united states, europe, japan, south korea, australia, new zealand, canada, western countries understand that this is a plebiscite to give legitimacy to a man who has been conducting a ruthless war and wants to continue it. on the other hand, you know, russia has numerous countries that are either neutral in this war, pointing at china, being one where they do not have competitive elections either. and then a number of countries in the global south and some countries in the post—soviet space have authoritarian governments and, so, theyjust think this is, russia's way of being ruled and they are not

going to criticise the elections. so this is very much a western condemnation of this but not much of the rest of the world. iii but not much of the rest of the world. ., ., ~' but not much of the rest of the world. ., world. if we then look at the terms on — world. if we then look at the terms on the _ world. if we then look at the terms on the war— world. if we then look at the terms on the war of- world. if we then look at the terms on the war of ukraine | terms on the war of ukraine does another vladimir putin term emboldened him in his approach to ukraine? i term emboldened him in his approach to ukraine?- term emboldened him in his approach to ukraine? i think it does. approach to ukraine? i think it does- this _ approach to ukraine? i think it does. this terrible _ approach to ukraine? i think it does. this terrible attack - approach to ukraine? i think it does. this terrible attack in i does. this terrible attack in odesa can coinciding with the elections, we know that he has sites on odesa and repeatedly said that odesa is a russian city. i think it will emboldened him because he was looking up on this as the population support him and his war effort and wanting victory for russia. we will not ever really know what the real numbers are because as steve rosenberg was saying, there is no independent monitoring organisation left in russia. there are opposition groups outside the country that have encouraged people to photograph the things we saw today. fires,

pouring ink into ballot box stuffing which ivory seen video of today. but we will probably never know what the numbers are. as long as putin wants to believe he got whatever, 80, 80 5% of the vote, he will continue what he is doing and we could even see more russian aggression in ukraine.— aggression in ukraine. beyond that oint aggression in ukraine. beyond that point and _ aggression in ukraine. beyond that point and beyond - aggression in ukraine. beyond that point and beyond furtherl that point and beyond further funding the ukrainian war effort, what approach should the us be taking to dealing with russia in this term was to mark supporting the war effort is the most important one and there are still a domestic debate going on in the us about this and hopefully that will be resolved soon. i this and hopefully that will be resolved soon.— resolved soon. i think it is beefina resolved soon. i think it is beefing up _ resolved soon. i think it is beefing up our— resolved soon. i think it is beefing up our own - resolved soon. i think it is i beefing up our own military. beefing up military production because we do not have the same amount of weapons that we used to have. they have been worn down by what we have supplied to ukraine so beefing up our own military and that of our nato allies is very important. trying to deter russia from

doing any more in ukraine or sitting at site on other countries in the neighbourhood is also very important. the most important thing at the moment is continued financial and weapon support for ukraine. earlier you mention how perhaps china may be viewing this election. if we could speak about the relationship between russia and china. not strictly unwavering allies but very close friends. how do you see that relationship developing through another term of vladimir putin?- vladimir putin? the relationship - vladimir putin? the relationship has - vladimir putin? the l relationship has many vladimir putin? the - relationship has many facets and is very much also a personal relationship between xi jinping personal relationship between xijinping and vladimir putin. we know that the chinese, whatever reservations they have about what washer is doing in ukraine and reservations about putting's threats of using nuclear weapons, they do not want russia to lose this war and they do not want someone else to come to power in moscow who would revisit russia's

turns to the easter break with the west and consider establishing ties with the west again. that would not be in china's interest. i think that vladimir putin's re— election will again strengthen this relationship. the chinese, as far as we know, have not supplied lethal weapons to russia for this war but they are supplying components that go into the industrial base and military production. so i think this willjust military production. so i think this will just strengthen the relationship. indie this willjust strengthen the relationship.— this willjust strengthen the relationship. we will leave it there for _ relationship. we will leave it there for the _ relationship. we will leave it there for the moment. - relationship. we will leave it| there for the moment. thank relationship. we will leave it - there for the moment. thank you forjoining us on bbc news. let's take a look now at how the media inside russia has been covering the election. vitality shevchenko from bbc monitoring has been following the coverage closely. it isa it is a festival of voting on russian state tv. casting a ballot is described as an honour and a duty. voters are said to have turned out in force and pictures of happy citizens abound. state tv is

proud of voting in occupied parts of ukraine. but it does not mention that it is carefully stage—managed and often involves armed men. it is clear why state media is so focused on turn out. the kremlin's efforts at using this election to legitimise the rule of putin. kremlin —controlled media is dominant in writer and it has spent years telling russians how great he is as a president. today, they do not even have to try very hard to remind them of that. we must show unity and vote is the message on state tv�*s channel one. we shall prevail and our enemy will be defeated, it says. there will be little doubt in viewers minds as to who exactly they are supposed to unite behind. you will not see in the mainstream media is any criticism of vladimir putin or its policies, particularly with his so—called military operation in ukraine. if you don't like it, stay quiet or

you will be fine, jailed or worse. let's talk now about what another term of vladimir putin will mean for those inside russia. live now to regina smyth, who's a professor of political science at indiana university and adam lenton, assistant professor of politics and international affairs at wake university. regina, for russians, what does another term of vladimir putin look like? more of the same or something else?— something else? russians feel uncertain about _ something else? russians feel uncertain about what - something else? russians feel uncertain about what comes i uncertain about what comes next. russians traditionally ask the question, how far ahead are you thinking about your life and that time has gotten shorter and shorter and now it isjust a matter of shorter and shorter and now it is just a matter of months. shorter and shorter and now it isjust a matter of months. and so i think that for russians, personally, they'd do not want to even think about what will

come next. conditions are deteriorating, the death toll is becoming revealed and i think they are worried about the future.— the future. would you agree with that? _ the future. would you agree with that? l _ the future. would you agree with that? i certainly - the future. would you agree with that? i certainly would. certainly _ with that? i certainly would. certainly people are very concerned and the status quo has been _ concerned and the status quo has been ruptured in the past few years _ has been ruptured in the past few years so there is a lot of uncertainty. few years so there is a lot of uncertainty-— uncertainty. we are seeing sanctions _ uncertainty. we are seeing sanctions continuing - uncertainty. we are seeing sanctions continuing and l uncertainty. we are seeing . sanctions continuing and fresh sanctions continuing and fresh sanctions issued in the wake of the death of alexi novelli —— alexei navalny. for what impact does that have on living in russia. what is life like there at the moment?— at the moment? there is a mixture — at the moment? there is a mixture of— at the moment? there is a mixture of things, - at the moment? there is a mixture of things, really. l at the moment? there is a i mixture of things, really. on one hand the economy has gone through a whopping. industrial production is at hireling. there are wage increases because of labour shortages and i think you see that on one

hand then you have inflation still very high at the moment and one of the issues is that with sanctions there will still be time until we really see long—term effects kicking in. so at the moment the government is also running a deficit and thatis is also running a deficit and that is may be sustainable for a year or so but we are starting to see some of the pressures that come with this in the round—up economy and wartime conditions. in the round-up economy and wartime conditions.— in the round-up economy and wartime conditions. regina, the sum of the _ wartime conditions. regina, the sum of the war _ wartime conditions. regina, the sum of the war effort _ wartime conditions. regina, the sum of the war effort and - sum of the war effort and economic conditions that is described there that engender support within russia for vladimir putin, military paper compensation for those who are injured and for the family of those have been killed fighting in ukraine? it those have been killed fighting in ukraine?— in ukraine? it does engender some support _ in ukraine? it does engender some support but _ in ukraine? it does engender some support but we - in ukraine? it does engender some support but we have i in ukraine? it does engender some support but we have to remember that russia is a very large _ remember that russia is a very large country so even the wage increases — large country so even the wage

increases really go to russian regions — increases really go to russian regions where there are high levels — regions where there are high levels of— regions where there are high levels of military industry whereas other regions are suffering. i think that the benefits of having fought in the war— benefits of having fought in the war are also highly uneven and many— the war are also highly uneven and many are not been delivered. so responsibility for delivering these benefits has gone down to the regional level_ has gone down to the regional level and _ has gone down to the regional level and during this campaign president putin made a big show of increasing those but really it is the — of increasing those but really it is the governors who are responsible in many regions are having _ responsible in many regions are having trouble meeting those obligations.— obligations. and without the independent _ obligations. and without the independent election - obligations. and without the i independent election observers there to monitorjust how these elections proceed, is there any way of truly knowing the level of support for vladimir putin versus people feeling they have no other option? it is versus people feeling they have no other option?— no other option? it is very difficult — no other option? it is very difficult to — no other option? it is very difficult to tell. _ no other option? it is very difficult to tell. these - difficult to tell. these elections are not competitive

as we may expect from a democratic election. and i think that what you will see is pressure being piled on regional governance and may be, again, if they are able to dish out a high result for putin then they will be in a good position. the pressure is on for them otherwise i think it will be difficult to tell from these elections what the actual support is although there will be some who do support putin many, again, who are forced to vote through being a state employee or affiliated with a state employee and others who are pressured to the local administration to do so because of one of these events taking place. it is difficult to tell from the elections alone what support is. irate from the elections alone what support is— from the elections alone what su--ortis.~ ,., , support is. we saw some protest votes already — support is. we saw some protest votes already today _ support is. we saw some protest votes already today and - support is. we saw some protest votes already today and there . votes already today and there is an organised turn out to

vote for sunday. how do you anticipate that going? it is hard to tell _ anticipate that going? it is hard to tell how— anticipate that going? it is hard to tell how many - anticipate that going? it 3 hard to tell how many are going to turn out. i think it will be interesting to look at, especially in the big cities, to see how many will do so but again i think everyone is going to be on maximum alert and terms of trying to prevent such unauthorised meetings from even taking place. so at that point i think there will be some brave people who do go out the risks also incredibly high. people are spoiling balance and engaging in protest actions is a testament to the fact that there is a ground swell of dissatisfaction and again i would not be looking at thousands of people, perhaps not as many keen to lay flowers at the grave of navalny. but there will be some and i think it will be interesting to see how the authorities deal with that. i it will be heavy—handed. that. i it will be

hea -handed. ., ~ ., heavy-handed. regina, adam mentioned — heavy-handed. regina, adam mentioned those _ heavy-handed. regina, adam mentioned those coming - heavy-handed. regina, adam mentioned those coming out. heavy-handed. regina, adam l mentioned those coming out for novello's grave. his wife has vowed to continue his work. what do you think opposition looks like after this? fine what do you think opposition looks like after this?- looks like after this? one of the most — looks like after this? one of the most interesting - looks like after this? one of| the most interesting changes that have happened in russia over— that have happened in russia over the _ that have happened in russia over the past decade is that certain's_ over the past decade is that certain's or support which used to be _ certain's or support which used to be women has shifted to the older— to be women has shifted to the older man. sol i think she will gain a lot of sympathy and that opposition will be — sympathy and that opposition will be gendered, with women out in — will be gendered, with women out in as— will be gendered, with women out in as we saw through the walt— out in as we saw through the wall which many of the women not only— wall which many of the women not only in russia but outside of russia _ not only in russia but outside of russia and so i expected to continue — of russia and so i expected to continue from a low level protest _ continue from a low level protest that are mostly regional or locally defined but will continue to challenge the regime —

will continue to challenge the reaime. �* . , , will continue to challenge the reaime. �* ., , , ., regime. adam, briefly, how difficult is — regime. adam, briefly, how difficult is that _ regime. adam, briefly, how difficult is that to _ regime. adam, briefly, how difficult is that to bring - regime. adam, briefly, how difficult is that to bring the | difficult is that to bring the opposition together when so many of the leaders are exiled or injail? it many of the leaders are exiled or in “ail? , many of the leaders are exiled or in jail?— or in jail? it is incredibly difficult _ or in jail? it is incredibly difficult and _ or in jail? it is incredibly difficult and you - or in jail? it is incredibly difficult and you see - or in jail? it is incrediblyj difficult and you see just or in jail? it is incredibly - difficult and you see just how, how— difficult and you see just how, how much— difficult and you see just how, how much change has taken place over the _ how much change has taken place over the last ten years, reattv _ over the last ten years, really. just over ten years ago. _ really. just over ten years ago, navalny scored a respectable second place in moscow election so i think now that everyone is injail it is difficult _ that everyone is injail it is difficult and one of the key questions is how the russian opposition are able to sustain and create argument. i opposition are able to sustain and create argument.- and create argument. i will have to interrupt _ and create argument. i will have to interrupt you - and create argument. i will have to interrupt you there j have to interrupt you there because we're coming up to time. link you forjoining us and thank you for watching bbc news. hello again. friday was a day of sunny spells and passing showers, as those shower clouds started to collapse down late in the day, we had some pretty still conditions there in the highlands. temperatures in scotland, northern ireland and wales generally quite

close to average, but across large parts of england, in contrast, it was very mild, 17 degrees in east anglia, six above average for the time of year. now the showery conditions on friday were caused by this area of low pressure that's working out of the way now. it will be bringing some heavy snow to parts of sweden and norway into saturday. get a quiet ridge of high pressure, a weather window, if you like, ahead of the next system that's working in off the atlantic. what all that means is over the next few hours, increasingly, the skies will tend to clear. and what that means is we'll see temperatures drop like a stone. and heading into the first part of saturday morning, there'll be quite a widespread frost, scotland, northern ireland, parts of northern england as well. a chilly start to the day then, but a lovely sunny morning through most of the uk on saturday. however, rain will quickly spread into northern ireland along with some strengthening winds, and we'll see some splashes of rain getting into wales and southwest england. the rain probably not too heavy here through the course of the morning. across eastern england, eastern areas of scotland

after that sunny but chilly start to the day, ok, the weather will tend to turn a bit cloudier, but it should stay dry until after dark, really. temperatures 10—14 celsius. now for the second half of the weekend, we've got a band of rain that's going to come through saturday night. the dregs of that still around across eastern england as we start the day on sunday. following that, we'll have southwesterly winds bringing mild air across the uk, and we'll be looking at some showery conditions moving back in. so, sunday weather—wise we start off with rain across east anglia, southeast england. that clears away. sunny spells follow widely, but there will be some scattered showers, some of them turning quite heavy through the course of the afternoon. the southwesterly winds drudging up some mild air across all parts of the country. temperatures about 13 celsius in glasgow and belfast, but up to around 15—16 celsius in the warmest parts of england. beyond that, southerly winds are going to kind of dominate into the early part of the new week. however, with low pressure never far away, there will be some showers or longer spells of rain affecting western areas at times. however, it does stay mild, 13 celsius, the top temperature in edinburgh through monday and tuesday, and it stays mild, really, through the week in london with highs of around

16 celsius or so.

voice-over: this is bbc news. we will have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. christopher nolan almost needs no introduction. the acclaimed director

is behind blockbusters, including the dark knight trilogy and interstellar, the futuristic science fiction epic which blasted matthew mcconaughey and anne hathaway into space, as well as historical films like dunkirk, which brought the story of the evacuation of allied soldiers in 191i0 to a wider audience. his latest, oppenheimer, starring cillian murphy as theoretical physicistj. robert oppenheimer, charts the invention of the first atomic bomb, which was tested by scientists in the desert in new mexico in191i5 and then dropped, controversially, on hiroshima and nagasaki, ending world war ii. i sat down with christopher nolan ahead of the film's premiere in london. well, christopher nolan, thank you so much for talking to us at the bbc. your actors speak very highly of you. i've seen that cillian murphy hails you as a genius, that emily blunt says you've singlehandedly changed cinema for everybody.

you were named back in 2015 as one of the 100 most