[000:00:00;00] the, [000:00:00;00] the, well, we're into the final stretch of voting us citizens in the world's biggest country had to the pool of this sunday. just in case you didn't miss miss it or hate to admit that this is the cost must go right behind me. the unmistakable criminals and if within those holes at the ground crimson palace, the next president of the russian federation will be and will to rated in may well, what do we know so far as all now the town out support services is 71 percent, which means that holding stations, i've got just

a few hours left on the rest of the electorate to head to that booth on half that side of the new surrounding the boat. the rest instead of belgrade has been attacked for the 2nd time today. as a teenage girl is killed in the earlier strike, local say that dangerous will not deter them from heading on having their se. considering the tense situation, the feeling of fear was still present. today i gathered all my civic responsibility, courage, perseverance, and pride in russia into a fist and came to the post. the much of the world has been going green that sunday for some patrick's day. russians are heading to the polls because it is huge, weekend,

3 day of voting is almost up and us citizens in the world's largest country across those 11 time. so we've been busy is having their mark talk to who they want us, their next president for the 6 years. my name's you're not only you you're most welcome to our coverage and joining unit to a cool not to mention st. patrick's day. you just couldn't not, it is south get taylor newton quite right. you said from come shop. got to come in . glad they have been coming out to strong. well, you know, so far. 71 percent turn out. that means that around 80000000 russians of the 112000000 strong electric have headed to one of the 10s of thousands of posting stations across this vast territory. 12 largest country that does not include those who have cost that vote on line for the time of the ebay thing has been available and the presidential election. what i want to do now though is join our join in our correspondent charlotte davinsky, who is at the central election committee. charlotte, i mean, i can imagine that's

a bit of a buzz going on at the moment, a few hours out, 3 to 4 hours until we get those preliminary results. what's the out miss the? i'm well, how did statistics? can you tell us? what are you hearing? what are you picking up with you at the moment of the? well, that's why there is a huge buzz here at the h q about the electrical commission. i just want to give you a sense of what's going on behind me. sounds good, you called screens hundreds and hundreds of screens. these are web cameras that the la, you've in voting stations across russia where the voting is still taking place. we can see the people who are coming in and still waiting to catch sped, pilot veterans, the screens keep changing behind me as of course, the voting needs closing depending on whether it's lines of videos in russia. this is a 3 day election. and of course, russia has 11 times them to already the voting has closed in the fall east of the country and also in large parts of the central cost of the russian federation. but henry mosca were,

am that voting will be continued for another 2 hours or so. and then we have to wait another off to that because that's when the voting polls were closed in leningrad, which is an hour ahead of us. i just want to give you a sense of this election and why the selection is up to your spin history. not only is it because it is an election that seemed the voting over 3 days, but it's also the 1st election since the russian constitution was modified back in 2020. that has allowed the current president loveland preaching to run for an unprecedented space term as president is also 1st, because this is the 1st election since russia incorporated to new territories in its federation. as you said, millions of people across the country, tens of millions of being voting some 5000000 in moscow. i know. so let's not forget the citizens of the russian federation could have been voting in embassies

across the globe, making their voices heard and guessing in on the action. they're all of course full candidates in this election. and we will have to wait several hours to find out who is potentially the next, the president of russia. but you talks about the budget, you're not that you're just over 70 percent at the moment. but of course, we also waiting for the most go region and also for the cleaning grad regions to close. they've been trying to get to the old rule sense of exactly how many people do to turn that in this election. an a t t at h q. so we're going to get those stats various. they're gonna give them to us here in the media. and of course we'll be bringing you all the information throughout the night 10 from the electoral commission. hate cute. well that was charlotte events you joining us from the central election committee bring up the old of our latest on not know, she said promising so much more the night is still young of troll. thank you

charlotte. thanks. charlotte. indeed. yeah, just to reiterate each of the 3 days from friday until this sunday, at polls opened up at 8 o'clock in the morning. and we'll close at 8 o clock. meaning there's another 2 hours here in moscow, but it's a big country house we've been going through over on the western side just to give you a sense of what's happening. they have, of course, that wrapped up their votes, they have had their say no. it while those with a pacific coast few that finish some 7 hours. so, you know, if my, my mouse are right on not at citizens the west of brush, as i've been saying, have a little bit more time to cast a ballot at the last of that in a bite at 3 hours at, from now in, killed in and grabbed the most western, most points of, at russia, so still have time for people to get out there and have their say. and also i do just want to talk about what is happening in the russian city of belgrade. cuz what we know is that ukrainian

a attack has taken name of the local population for the 2nd time. this sunday, a loan as union was saying the start day of multi voting. we know that one person has been killed, 12 more wound tubs. now, a residential neighborhood was the primary victim of a dot to salt to fly erupt. to do, you can see on screen fuel cells in the building. a teenage go was also killed in a previous strike the same day or to produce a monumental type fall. this report with all the very latest on what's going on on that border region. this is the 2nd 500 over of 64 to be really i think days ago a 16 year old girl and her father was hit by you. queen anne miller was full of gold, was bound to live in her house while her father was concussion was delivered to the hospital. i'm actually in the very middle of build routes. city. me around me are just residential buildings houses right behind me. you can see flaming building,

just 2 walks away. the keys in the garden is little feet, and this is a component list of your similar era mil military targets can be located here. the russian ministry of defense published an amount of loss as you create inside has suffered. it's $6565.00 that soldiers and few a tourist systems. it is so deal for us for the initial election. some people see it and goals are stephen now on the show. and we think that the only the, the main thing they can do is to fulfill the civic, the civic duty to bill. and to vote. nothing is on that. that was got that which is perfect. through loss of emotions, considering the tense situation, the feeling of fear was still present. today i gathered all my civic responsibility, courage, perseverance, and pride in russia into a fist and came to the pose. i have fulfilled my civic duty. it was scary to go because of the situation. i listened, there were no sirens and went to let me, i always go to the polls. i haven't missed

a single vote. i decided to go because the future depends on me. i had to vote for the presidential candidate. i'm glad i did it. this is the so they are for us presidential elections like final. they are for us for presidential elections the last day when people can vote. but despite the freight they are willing to. so if they are willing to decide their future the right, just to remind you, there are 4 candidates vying for rushes at top job. let's go through some of that. you may be familiar, i would imagine with at least one, if not all of them love them are putting, has been serving with in the company leadership incumbent had that states since 1999. now the other 3 candidates are all current law. still more americans from separate parties, love us, thought the bank. gulf of the people's party is a veteran, russian at business men leaving it split ski, know it hits the liberal democratic party. it was previously the country's envoy to

the parliamentary assembly of the console of europe. and there is another veteran in the race at nickaligha, each one of from bushes in, during the popular communist party, usually finishing the last 20 years or so in 2nd spot at. so he'll want to make a big in roads this time around as well. okay, well i think how are a ton of other than it's not meant to to is probably the face that people recognize the most. he is the oldest mountain. the race is also potentially got the most part of metrics experience not to be a member of the level house bottom and since 1994. so an old times when it comes to the political arena, he also does heads up a commit to embrace his optics on for eastern development. he was like you and, and said a runner up communist party come from seconds. hard top of himself came in 2nd and that was back in 2004 where he gave the presidency a go. this year you can see that he cost his vote on the most go posting station.

and as he was coming out and whilst he was that like so many of the candidates on political officials who are putting the voice onto the paper. he came out and he said, those who haven't done, i'm going out to go on get your shoes, got out and put your take in the box, the ocean. i encourage everyone who has not yet voted to do so. today. the elections are taking place in difficult conditions, but as an old, difficult times. today, the multinational people of russia have coast validated in all parts of the country, people a willingly going to the polls. i have met with international observers from the c i s and the c s t o from dunbar to the far east. they have no complaints about the conduct of the elections. this is yet another confirmation that our elections, outgoing. well,

we're all for presidential candidates have no cast their votes and no price, we're guessing who they will be voting for. i would imagine themselves at the last to do so. what's the lowest level defined cost. busy the new people's party or relative uh new commer, but the house got at the header 3 in, at national and local politics of south sky or was saying at just a go through. he went home, he went to his local police station where he was born in the city of small lands in the western parts of russia. now the candidates are russians come on, cast their choice for quote, a better future one. yeah. yeah. and also some of them well today i am voting in my hometown of small lands in my school in that urge, all those who have not yet had time to come in vote for the future of russia. today i will with, with my friends and we'll wait for the election results. all right, well, that's a cross live now to archie, correspond, and she bowes,

who is in that mr. to buy coffee. i look toral headquarters in moscow at shay. this is a person who, who wants the american in rhodes, he says he's not just there to make up the numbers. but take us through at what the set you ation is like there of the unit, i should say, this is a young man and he's the youngest of the 4 candidates mister to that coffee comes from small lands. can you see made his way home to vote, which i think was a signal about some of his intentions and his party, new people know v ludy seems to have quite a big a youthful follow to get into the future team here at the moment. who are uh, you know, supporting him and waiting for the results to come in to see, you know, if a lot of young people here, he's 40 years old, but he has a, a long, uh, sort of very colorful and very successful background in business. and he is all about developing roche as fast as horses in the regions at developing bushes

education system at the health care system. i'm really exploring the vast, vast wealth that russia has and on foreign policy he for the align with vladimir putin, but also wants to build bridges, much like mister pick those also. so the sense here is one of the sort of very youthful dynamism. and i think it's represented by his sort, a lightweight, fast moving sort of campaign that he's carried out. i think people here are really waiting to see how deep and enrolled he can make into at the other big or more established prior to share with the vote. so we'll be here at to the late evening to bring you that information as we get it. you're bringing stuff. shay very helps. and patrick's day as well to use from a fellow wire spin software. the recently i bought mentioning it, but we had to it's a big day and rest of the big there on the worth of stuff like you so much. thanks very much. all right, well, i want to talk no about something else,

much more serious because it's right in the past 2 years and of the ukraine conflict they're helping us. i'm sure you're familiar with frequent at calls from the west for region change in at rushing our correspond the english has all of can you bring the looking into what was said and also how successful those hopes? maybe and there's nothing more the west one. so then to just erase latimer putting it from the political landscape, we'll have a different search here, a brighter future rooted in democracy in prison, open lines of decency, dignity of freedom and possibilities. for god's sake, this man cannot remain power washing presidents. the white house made the point last night that quite simply present to cannot be empowered to wait for one gauge integration. i guess ukraine or anyone else. and i'm not walking anything back as expressing more rage as i feel,

and i makes no apologies for it. we're able to see how much we're isolating the russian regime right now because we need to do so. we can nama, can we political into, to magically, and we'll tell the impact so, so in society, and how much we received potential regime change in russia, america's political puppets, in europe, having the same dream, please, please just make a big, bad loud, go away from our standpoint, up until the point the current regime is not in power. the country surrounding it will be to some extent and danger, not just put in but the whole regime because, you know, one might change putin and might change his inner circle. but another pollutant might rise into his place. what we actually see instead in today's russia is the censorship for by gumbo, the leading voices of the opposition in j. however, these,

the so called elections are still unimportant elements of the political developments in the country. and us senator lindsey graham doesn't even hide his point blank diplomatic methodology because nothing shows your exclusive mastery or handling geo politics. like suggesting a will lead or shouldn't be assassinated. is there a brutus in russia? is there a more successful kernel stuff and berg and the russian military? the only way this ends is for somebody in russia to take this guy out. you wouldn't be doing your country and the world a great service, or as successful as lee harvey oswald. perhaps, isn't it right? send it to him. i wonder why that name was suit conveniently emitted from this speech. anyhow, though russia has been repeatedly calling out the us and that you over the election meddling attempts for us to look up lou, we have sent accumulating a lot of materials about how the european union embassies in moscow are preparing for our presidential elections. what intervention mechanisms and supporting

projects for our non systematic opposition is our being prepared in general. seems that embassies have no right to do. having collected such information, we invited all the ambassadors of the european union to a meeting with me. i wish i wanted to tell them we simply advise them in good faith . not to do this 2 days before the scheduled meeting. they sent us a note saying they had decided not to come. can you imagine relations with states at the diplomatic level who's in passengers are afraid to come to a meeting with the minister of a country to which they are accredited? where has that been seen? that's the manners of the sworn partners to the russian language information resources of the us embassy in moscow are actively used to interfere in the presidential elections in russia. we regard such actions as interference in the internal affairs of our country. well, russia might as well be talking to a stone wall here, though the outcome won't be much different because washington solemnly swear as all

these attempts are done in the name of democracy, freedom and russians right? to choose. i think it's impossible to separate the elections context from the environment of oppression that i was just talking about. russians deserve the right to chart their own course. and certainly what we're seeing is that their ability to chart their own course through receiving impartial and from nation being able to exercise their fundamental freedoms. that is extremely troubling, as it makes it so much more difficult for russians to be able to express the future that they want for themselves. and that is, it's a tragedy for russia. well, is it though? because in that case, ignoring vladimir food is public support seems like a terrible, terrible oversight. this racing by the way, has been reported by no government affiliated pollster. on the contrary, nevada center has had repeated fully outs with the authorities and rushes,

ministry of justice even declared it as a for an agent. but instead the us chose a different part. the parts of a hind picking political fig as they like, and showering with praise and love. like but he said there's been whose failure to properly read, just as a presidential candidate who has been the uproar in the west despite himself publicly admitting to screwing things up. this is of course, an incredible how long the explanation might be. much simpler, washington and its allies are just used to regime change and level of back of truly what the leave behind is not pretty. the terrorist insurgents in iraq years of civil war and gang violence in libya. it took them 20 years to replace the taliban in afghanistan. with the taliban. we are experiencing air isn't changed operations and this operation. so they are over

a 2 or $0.03 covered that always, america used a to remove the reason use that does not please it's policy that does not was, was it's policy. and most of the time it's happened was, there isn't, was there a seems that was elected democratic gates. so america is given your lesson that democracy is not allowed when the 1st that you elected does not match with our policy. it's not only happening in the middle east, it's happened in south america. acceptance and you're on it's happens. it started as soon as being waves and ways to do about it with you i of course this policy we need and there you can nowhere it's, we take it to make more or less than the was it's, it's not doing good for america because people started the trusting the american politic in general,

america's political establishment seems to enjoy this democracy delivery delirium and on laying its tactics to arrest for rules yukon, teach an old rabbit dog new tricks. well, we have been teasing you a week. we said that we would have arrived at the correspondence unless everyone wanting to set that views. um we have delivered joining us in the studio as political honestly in us me media project to meet to bob. it's always nice going to see hear from you. i mean, to meet you just before you came on, you very humbly said, but the most impressive thing about you is that you have been following russian election stuff that he has by obviously strongly disagree. but i will pick you up. i'm not talking about longevity. we have just about letting me to to i'm, he's a unique characters and he, when he talks about national and international too, he's managed. well, i mean, some good to the opposite extreme. for example, i think it's sufficient to learn u. k. 5 minutes. his name's anymore. as let's trust me, sometimes they don't slide as long as that

a piece of that says bob's i'm talking about putin has manage to keep poking to support and most of the business and political elite as well. what do you think the recipe for this insurance in the political wilderness? i think, uh, put you in peals to the russian people directly. and he corresponds to a southern ideal to a southern big chair, or an ideal statement of the trash and staff. he is not to allow for both as a boris yeltsin or what a bunch of sometimes where he is not an extreme is nationalist. indeed, he appeals to a southern part of the liberal incent just the electorate, because he has been advocating market economy for many years. he is not as in a full, she speaks 7, i look forward in the language just, she's russian and at the same time, your opinion, you have a good sense of this word. so i think that's the secret of here's one,

give it to me and she changed. i think fortunately that we have now is very different from fortune that we've had between the 2010 the to 1000 eighty's for us to with drums in for. and she is very different from the one who returned to bore off to make vegas presidency. in 2012, but we're still dealing with unique times for him because, and not only is it a new constitution that he's able to possibly come into power for 6, possibly at 12 years. he's also dealing with a public who have seen the ukraine conflicts at cove. it a lot of different issues coming in. what is that, what is the best situation as regards this field? because i've heard you say before, it's more of a possible a plebiscite. exact on an actual ad presidential vote. of course we'll have a president at the end of it. but is it a photo as well and how successful people think longer put in has,

has done with our lives where we are executive, right? uh, basically when the forwarded media says, oh, there is no choice. that's not true. people who oppose the ministry x, no russia, who called themselves and to war. they can vote for the on the cool if you know the whole cold for immediate negotiation since teen doors the can. so it kind of this, your voters and ideas done who the west laughed so much. people may just vote for someone else. uh, i voted for what you know, explain why. i was persuaded by the 44, the meanest rodnick sikorsky speaking at the atlantic call. so i think 2 weeks ago she said, oh and was to remove bush and, and when she was asked, but maybe put and success is going to be even worse for you. maybe he's going to be someone hash that is the commonest sikorsky responded. that's not important, he will have less spa, this spot was important, and that means you'll be less of a problem for us, for our lives to resistance then from project to then i ask myself,

do i want to be a problem for? are they sick most you do? i want to ask you to be appropriate for us or i think sikorsky. and the answer is yes. why should you care of? i want to be appropriate for at least it was given to everybody. i will vote for both of them because she has the power to resist and that's why so many people voted for board. and of course, there is a certain part of the population that the oppose us any kind of immediate reaction . the cause of choice. they caught vote for someone else or they might just ignore the selection as they sometimes do. but in general, i think it was an important plebiscite. but they besides the, on the decision, what's their fortune to, to, to start the. so quote me to try to ration and i'm sorry, the decision of whether we should continue the war or whether we should the come to some sort of compromise that may not be even favorable for us. just in the actual process itself. this election. and i think we're going to keep using the word

unique because you've got people in the nation's new regions going to the polls under threats of ukrainian missiles just your, your barely step. well, your brief view on, i suppose they're, they're auctions. they're bravery and wanting to have their say in this election for the 1st time. well, i think it's a very symbolic that we've have to they, they university of crime is your notification with russia. a new one who was in grammy at the time. anyone who watch television can testify, the people who are genuinely accepted. i mean, read the western press of the nineties and the 2 thousands. they will write, you know, people in the crime, you a russians, they want to be with russia. you can read it to the new york times and the washington post. now they say, oh no cray me, it was hope to bide these people never wanted to be with russia. they should read what they wrote just a few years earlier. right. so of course, people in the,

your russian regions, of course, they're happy to vote because this is a kind of a guarantee that the past will not come back. that there will be no repressions against those who called rated with the russians with the authority. just that the people you left it now. so for them it's even much more important than for us. well, thank you so much for coming in. oh, as a learn something when you do come in about the big issues of the day in few bigger than this presidential election. se ios me internet media project head. dimitri baba jump political douglas, many facts. one character that we have not talked about yet is of course the, the top of the liberal democratic party that's here, not slootsky, but we don't have to do it because we have got steve sweeney who's in the headquarters of that policy. who's going to tell us everything that we need to know, steve? i mean we would joined by che, he was at the 1000 calls. we have got our correspondence every single corner of this city, from the election commission to the headquarters of the different parties. but tell

us right now what the vibe is at the, at the split ski had forces. well, that's why i'm here about the headquarters, a campaign headquarters of luna slootsky in the russian capital will most go on the 3rd and final day of poland. now there's a bit of a pause haven, the campaign headquarters. slootsky himself is due to arrive in the way he will address the press on whose campaign team on the success, and give a bit of an overview of dots campaign. now he's the leader of the russian liberal democratic party, not to be confused with the policies of the same name and europe and elsewhere. this, the policy does deemed to be on the hard rights of the political spectrum. now slips . he himself is a serious politician. he was 1st elected to the state to mount in 1999 was believed to be the 1st russian politician starting should by the obama administration. i'd be honest,

i'm all septic crimea independence election in 2022. he formed parts of russia is negotiating team soon off to the beginning of the special military operation. now for his paul, he says he doesn't dream of eating lot demand pollutant, who he things to be. one of the world's most influential politicians. he says that he's focused on victory in the special minutes you information, also participating in the democratic process of the company. now suppose the correct team come in with something like 4 percent of the vote, and of course, upholding is continuing, pointing stations are still open, but we're expecting those preliminary results. the exit polls in the next few hours in the next 3 or 4 hours. we can expect to get some indication of who will be heading to the criminal and of course, all behavior bringing you all the latest news and all the light is updates us. we have them. well, thank you steve. that was all to you correspondent,