of the russian forces repel another attempt supply. ukrainian troops to infiltrate simple to region of belle grove with 2 civilians were killed by selling earlier at this stuff day. oh, so this hour, the time that we all live at all a special election studio in the heart of moscow, it's almost the end of voting for day 2 of the russian and presidential election. the voting booths are closed in moscow. but in russia's western regions of clinic ride, for example, that still one hour left the cost of boat. if indeed you are a russian citizen details up and coming in just a couple of pulls and the recently freaks, se about the after hour among those votes in for the president and the don't. yes, with public catholic pro russians of the new regions for the 1st time

preparing to those but on as long as the biggest scale, india outlines is general election plans, which will take 3 months. sometimes the step 7 page the hello and welcome accept. today, the 16th of march, and this is on the international coming to you live from moscow. it's great to have you with us. i'm most go say is it's full was, is half full today. fresh attempts by you crazy and troops to infiltrate russian border regions. and drone photos released by the russian defense ministry, shows the course of ukrainian soldiers trying to sneak across the board the into the belgrade region most go stays the services were quickly. bates. and by closing out 230 soldiers, 3 tanks and multiple other vehicles, a la on saturday, 2 civilians were killed and 3 more wounded off to a residential positive bill of the world. since he came on the ukrainian shelley,

as, according to the governor of the russian region, and another attack the russian address. but this is a deceptive. 15 checks applied, well kids that were fired across the board to buy key ups troops when the at least one a civilian. also you produce that my gomez in the car, i filed a report from the fall garage in earlier today. i know that a tech has happened just this morning, which is my so local govern assessed. h m o arrest of rockets working the subject, but unfortunately it not. all of them are intercepted leaving 2 people dead and 3 more wounded. i was a did all of the places myself and well, the best route area, residential building comp balking. it does not look like a middle trip target. actually a tax on the region of intensified great lakes in recent days. just yesterday they were 3 weeks of arrow attacks. as far as i can see right now, this is their main goal to spoil rushes presidential elections. people are going to be paying station at some point, they're afraid, but they want to express their,

their concerns, their believes. and basically they just want to win a world. and they said that nothing will stop them from doing it. millions of russians are taking to the polls on day 2 of the presidential election, which is being held across the 3 days for the 1st time of bringing you all special coverage of a landmark event from a special vantage point in the house of mosca. the well, with already more than 50 percent of russia voting on date to all of the 2024 russian presidential election is looking like turn out. it's really, really solid right now. it is a so it's a what just about 5 minutes past 8 here and most goes through the, the polluting stations in moscow are closed, though they will be open for one more hour into leningrad in the western parts of

russia. but if you want to get really confused, have a listen to this, the posing stations and rushes far east will be reopening in about 2 will. 3 hours from now, but look at 11 time zones. can you imagine 11 time zones? millions of russians voting a 1000 election absorbers from over a 100 countries worldwide. just for a moment, i want to say a very welcome to you in a special election coverage or not the international. and the so we on this down to an out is looking at 52 percent as day 2 of voting is just about wrapping up. but that is not including all the, i guess calculus folks to be made online as well. so who are the candidates who's buying for the top spot? who's looking to bump president food out of the credit? and of course you've got the incumbent president vladimir appeared,

and he's been here since 1999 overseeing the biggest country in the world. but there are 3 other contenders, for example, that's. so there's a flat us off the phone call for the new people's policy. i'm a veteran, russian businessman, lead slootsky, who now leads the liberal democratic party. he's a previous, they'd be in the country's diplomat to the parliamentary assembly of the council of europe and the communist nickaligha tunnel. if he's been a member of the state duma since 1994. well, we now joined by a very special guest here with our studio audience and national elizabeth. when godaddy you do not you all your one of the many of the see one of the many international observers, but you're also in, i'm trying to get the title correctly. forgive me for the head of the women's wing of the night, roby entrepreneurship community. yes, it's a big title that isn't a very warm welcome to russia. it's so good to have you. here you are observing the election process. now i have spoken to some other observers and throughout the program this afternoon and to be totally blunt with you. i was trying to get some

good. i was trying to get some complaints and the i said, is the election transparent so far they all kept telling me yes it is. so i'll go. busy ask you, i mean seriously, elizabeth, what have you seen so far? is it looking legit? good evening, rory, and unfortunately you're not going to strike gold. also here. i tell you what from what i've observed in the last 2 days yesterday and to a being the 2nd day. it has been totally transparent. no complaints on my side. i went to the civic chambers this evening, or this afternoon, and the comments on nova, with about 20 volunteers watching all folding stations in russia and the fact the 20 individuals are what almost 20. it could be slightly more watching all of us russia. it's effective, it's efficient, and i'm really impressed. i'm amazed to hear this, and i mean, on a personal level,

i'm amazed to here because on credit, you've got these european politicians who have already said before, the posing processes even wrapped up. and you've already said the election is a legitimate now i don't know why they would say that. but elizabeth, what your seeing and you're being truthful with, am your telling me the election process is transparent and legitimate? let me ask you this, have you seen any areas where russia could improve on the election process? any complaints from you? perhaps? um, no day one was a little bit worried when i went to the fast to pulling stations. and i was just observing elderly people voting and i had to ask my guide. and she told me the reason that you're not seeing young people there is because it's a friday day of school. and more. so she added, but based on where they can do the electronic voting. that's right, and i was so impressed so you can be on your busy day like she was. and i asked her

when she going to what she reminded me again, elizabeth, we have an up and i can look anytime amazing to hear with you. i can vote so i mean those are the things that i feel like i would call you back home. yeah, yeah. we in kenya, we are so used to long pauline lions at the polling station. i mean, if you have enough, it cuts the long pulling legs, but we have back home. yeah. so yeah, for me, i'm just impressed. all right, so, so there are different ways for people to cost advert. online apps, for example, you know, you, if you, if you think back to the last election in the united states, the last presidential election, there was an awful lot of allegations of ballots being stuff. yeah. in fact, frankly, the west impressed in light talking about it. but there was plenty of footage. okay . all of that to election workers in the state of georgia, for example, near atlanta who was seen stuffing, pallets into boxes. is there any way here in russia? mm hm. that could happen. is there any way that you've seen that anyone could try and stuff ballot boxes or try on the, legitimize this election process?

honestly, i don't think so. again, all pulling stations specific rooms have all the stephen cameras. i can tell you the portable of boxes that are taken home, most people who are disabled and unable to go to the police station. i was fortunate enough to actually see when we brought back with the votes costed. and the lady cut the seal right and took the volts out and box them in a sealed, she filled them and put them in the safe. it was transparent. i have a video rebates and you know, i just confessed that there's no way there's no way that the europe and the americans can say this has not been on trust john. spot intellectual. good. you know, just, i'm just going to pause for a moment just kind of that go in for a, you know, because i work in the news business, right. i've been doing it a long, long time. i used to work in the american use industry as well. and i've, i've just seen all the different rhetoric and all the different ideologies and

narratives and, but to hear this from you now it is about, yeah, it's just refreshing that warms my soul. and i'm really, really glad i'm really grateful if you just and you want being honest with me. i have uh you for my robi, can you? yes. all right. is your 1st time in russia? yes. oh my goodness. maybe more to come look to see you come over here, you're missing the snow. it's old and melting right now is the 1st few days just to bring to the side. and i can tell you that when i walked out of the airport, um my blood almost froze. uh only because then that uh, the narrow b website is extreme x. yeah. to what we're experiencing right now. what, what, what would the people in kenya, what do they think of russia by or pushing, for example, what do they think? okay. i mean, they is the western news and the mainstream media that we'll verify him and verify the country. but i can tell you that a stable russia is, is good for africa. so the african leaders who have eyes to see and yes through

here, we will know, will know that a stable of russia is good for africa. any business or any partnership with russia? an african state has always been equally beneficial, mutually beneficial. yeah. so i mean it's, it's something the french prisoner macro and was, was saying recently he and he was blaming rusher and prudes. and the whole french troops basically being kicked out a form a colony. yeah. in the western part of africa, he was taking all the russians and involved people behind is a futon and a recent interview with a great russian. just consider the off. he said look, it wasn't us. the was the african leadership that shows to a pro josh that shows to what, because it wasn't the russians meddling or doing anything like that. but my kron putting up on the all very, very angry little mind, but he's angry a lot these days. i mean, we could talk about him for far too long if we really wanted to let me ask you, i mean, i don't want to get to geo political with you here. but in, in the, in the, for new russian regions on the west and territory is rights the, the, um,

these new and baffled regions, but also russians suffering territory. okay. for example, you know, old school, russia, when it, when it comes to quarter screen and the build road regions on the west and border on the borderline civilian civilians have been going out to the polling stations that have been attacks by the key. every gene they have been showing civilian towns where people are literally standing outside and a lie and says, trying to cost the vote on. so get off at all for us just for a minute. as it has come out saying the russians will not be intimidated by this. but with your position as an international election observer. when you hear about shelling or a tax on civilian areas, when people are trying to cost a vote, how does that make you feel, ann, could you, could you be an observer in $1.00 of those regions to try and help with people that oh oh, what would be your choice, what's your feedback? ok, it's funny that you asked me that question because we have 3 accounts of parts and get a from kenya, getting russia. and one is in one of those areas,

but you're talking about, i forget the name, right? and um, of course of when people are trying to be taught a prospect election or transpired to election, then i'm going to bomb the military. they're going to cause some disturbance with the civilians who actually supposed to be the ones costing the whole. yeah, yeah, so this is expected, but i think the russian spirit is strong and um that much optic the fact that this happened on day one and you still have people going out to vote on day 2 and probably will be there a day, a day, 3 it's speaks positive. positive. yeah. about the russian. it's very, it tells you something you talk about the russian spirit. is he something about the resilience? yes. of the russians are certainly and battled regions going about more than 10 years. you know, it's been a terrible time for these people. they've been handled by the key. every jamie, i mean, the kid was cutting of water and gas and electricity. and because these people identified as russians, they were getting punished. and now when these in buckled regions, they're getting to vote for the 1st time. yeah. the russian presidential election.

elizabeth, but before that you goes, i know you've got what to do. yeah. but with you being here, your 1st time in russia and you are an international election of stuff. uh huh. what would you say to the world, which is who is watching right now? what would you tell them about what you've seen, what your expectations are, and what your 1st experience is here in russia? of course, when i told my family members that i'm going to russia, and the 1st thing was to do what to and i to, i'm going to, i'll drop the elections and some of the most kids. but when i landed here, i continue, it's safe on the russian. people are peaceful. there's no indication of war i've been in moscow. i wouldn't tell you that is from the rush. it was that or not. and i want to tell the african the does. it's high time to open. the eyes of health might not be coming from the west. it might be coming from the east. oh, well that was a beautiful country right now. and elizabeth elizabeth, one got

a good note. yeah, an international election absorber here and most of it for the very 1st time from nairobi can yes, this is so good to have you here. thank you. the runaway. yeah, stick around. i might need you a little while. okay, please. it's been a pleasure talking to all right, thank you. thank you so much. thank you. bye. well, so from the very west of the country, all the way to it's far east. upholding stations have been open from 8 am to 8 pm in the course of all the different time zones is going to be a, a really complicated effort to get all the votes costs, but tens of thousands of holding stations. and instead of going across the biggest country in the world, which of course, as i said, spends 11 time zones. now. admittedly, several troublemakers had been caught trying to spoil some of the election events that some of the posting stations sites. some footage, showing employees that upholding stage and preventing a william from a point in green di, into a ballot box on friday, several similar cases saw a total of more than $200.00 pallets ruined across some 20 regions of the country. well, the perpetrators detained are all facing 5 years in prison. the election officials

say the suspects were a power t blackmailed into doing their acts, allegedly, by people from ukraine and some western countries that's according to election officials. now the vote of course has been in full swing and rushes and baffled regions. the new regions, despite the ongoing threats of ukrainian showing one pointing station is after all, she recently came under a drone attack. no casualties reported a key. busy launched another shedding a sold on upholding station in the neighborhood of southern region on friday. and earlier this saturday you crating and striking that same area killed one civilian and wounded at least 4 others. but despite all of that, as you've been listening here, russians are resilient and on the to, to still get out there and cost the votes in the don't, don't, don't pass republic solve new guns, but don't yet go locals of fighting for the very 1st time. the very 1st russian president, this, the 1st time a 1000 polling boots are being opened and after the 1st day of voting, as we understand, turn out in those regions for over 52 percent. now,

what about of day of the town that was recently liberated by russian troops? and how is the voting process going that will have the story of a 12 correspond to his oddities, real mind customer. the sort of thing began in the reason deliberately, city of, of dave cost, the people here, most of them are still living in the basement because the town was devastated by that. so in the recent years, right now, we want to be bomb shelter, square, and election permission, volt setup voting both. so people can exercise their right now. all of these local residents, they used to have you create in passports, but since for the duration of the data, global storage is made. everything possible for them to get their russian documents as soon as possible. and now they will vote in their 1st ever russian presidential election though,

as soon as i am happy to go vote, but i will have to wait a bit. they told us to stay home and the people would come help us custom votes there. so then i'll come home and vote again. ok, i'm just getting the shortages. i'm glad to be here. we didn't even expect to vote . the main thing is that we all vote to get it sol, so hard to explain all the good can be in this tiers. the past 3 weeks have already made it easier and we hope things will get even better. after were missing some of really c or dropping things in the town of. have dave go, which was devastated by battles were now heading to done. net square high will be taking part in the russian presidential election. but right now we received the news that there are drones you freight enroll, flying right above us. so literally from here as soon as possible, the

funds that we have made, it's back to them as safely from of they've got whole this needs and ask, it's not as dangerous as it is, is over there, but we're just about 17 kilometers away. so, but right now i can take this for the 1st off and go and cast my vote. the, i'll leave this here, got my passport, a microphone look good, look presentable. so it's going both the, obviously the turn out here in damascus. they're quite high. you can see all these people came out hurts of old. so i guess i'll take my place in line right now

to both this ford is sacred secret. i'm sorry, i'm going to vote for for thursday, vote for the future. and hope all is obviously for security and peace for all of us . for the historic moment. the voting for the president's health rush i here and then this people have voted for the 1st time in the presidential and that started out as my absolutely great and voting will continue for the next 2 days. and of course, we'll be here to cover for monica for of hard to use the destro public stuff, you know. but i mean, while in the crimea and city of us, that was a couple of which were united with the roster and a referendum about a decade or so ago. the locals already been out all day costing the votes as well.

we understand it's the 2nd time the russian citizens in that region will be voting for the countries president and the russian foreign minister. so allow for office uh, address the issue of people living in the, in, in that region. he said that not only is the quite me and peninsula or a part of russia, but it always really let's see if we will remember that disturbing a terrible spring when they are not c c's. how in key of as a result of a bloody included tom. we also remember the notorious friendship trains which way equipped with the ideological follow as a vendor to suppress the inhabitants of the peninsula who did not want to give up the values that culture, that history and the centuries old traditions of the ancestors. the subsequent mc crime in sanctions, the undermining of power lines, transport, energy and water blockades, only convince crime means they've made the right choice. the issue of ownership of crime, the answer basketball is closed. the peninsula is an integral part of the russian

federation. mutual could be the cook joe. meantime, one of the most unpopular precedents in the history of frogs and manual macro and has come out blasting russia as per usual macro and saying the crimea should be seized. it should be taken back to bring peace and stability to the region. well, over knowledge while he's don't know, quarter he's speaking to those who live in that region. well, let's see if they agree with the little french president. it's been 10 years since crime. it took its fate into its own hands, voting to become part of russia independence, a lot has undergone a dramatic transformation all despite the western. nay sayers who did everything in their power to see where unification fail. once he grabbed crimea, pretended deployed new a new russian forces in the peninsula, turning the territory into an armed camp from which to threaten the rest of the ukraine. we will continue to hold russia accountable until it returns full control

or premier to ukraine and completely withdraws its forces. it is also important to acknowledge that the situation indeed alternative is republic of crayton year, and the city of service. the pope has further date. terrier a to a new crime is most grandiose project was likely the crime in bridge. russia's vital artery of transports through the curt straight. a similar accomplishment was the construction of the to read the federal highway which sides grand opening in 2020. these are just 2 of many new pieces of infrastructure across the peninsula, and that's done wonders for people. standard of living is the possibility of good news. a lot has changed over the years. first of all, we feel supported by q crane has 10 sylvester poll into the backwoods. and now that the city is blooming, that you will do take a look at what yards we have now. i see we have an excellent tool to supply. right

. do you understand years i have received the russian citizenship. i have my own business. i bought an apartment and my daughter grew up here as a rush and thought to us, we can see for ourselves what has happened in these 10 years. i mean are officially left ukraine and joined to the russian federation in march of 2014, after over a whopping 96 percent of the population voted to do so in the historic referendum. it's a come as little surprise since both ukrainian and russian statistics show that russians have long made up the main demographic group on the peninsula as lot of airport and mentioned in his 2014 cry me a speech. many of the seeds of chaos were found decades before. like when former soviet general secretary, nikita khrushchev arbitrarily transferred crimea from russia to ukraine. it became clear the russian presidents that in action would be a betrayal of his own people seem to somebody else. those who resisted the push were immediately threatened with reprisals and punitive measures. and the 1st in

line was of course, crimea, russian speaking crimea. that's when the residents of crime you and say we're still flu, appealed to russia to protect their rights and their lives. of course, we could not fail to respond to this request. we could not leave premier and its people in trouble. otherwise it was simply be a betrayal. it was necessary to help create conditions for a peaceful, free expression of will, so that the crime millions could determine their own faith for the 1st time in history. but even after crime me a return to its motherland, struggles continued to persist, light keeps blockade of nearly 90. percent of the provincial is clean water supply . presidents lensky, who thinks crime. he actually wants to come back to ukraine, was making jokes about the water situation back in 2015. that was a teacher. the 1st thing you, what time you're going to need to pick out. what was the teachers the notes of good . oh my god. what,

what what then there were the blackouts that would run for months on end, caused by kia backed extreme is to sabotage to power lines running to crimea. it was only have to rush it was able to commission to new power plants, but the energy problem was solved in 2019. the whole country helped us in the shortest possible time and energy bridge and new power plants were built, as well as an upgrade to the existing power generation facilities today. for the 1st time in history, cry me not only has ceased to be a region experiencing power shortages, but can also supply surpluses of electricity outside its territory if necessary.

there were new sanctions as well that the west targeted specifically a crimea, but that didn't stop countries like italy, greece and france from continuing to cooperate with the peninsula. on top of that, the republic is heading towards its 2nd presidential election in russia with a new generation of young people heading to the polls. so the since 2014 political activities in crimea has appeared because before 2014, there was no use political agenda on the peninsula, only up to the common and part of the russian federation did young people in crimea actively begin to be interested in politics. mentors began to appear assisted in god's in young people. i think it is the duty of every citizen to vote and every vote. as in paul 10, the crime in us hold the same opinion. i see only a positive direction for the development of pri, me and i use as i am representative of use. i think the torres mode develop very actively and try me as well as the republic is. there was

a miniature and you can find every thing here. but despite pressure from the west war violence, sanctions, democracy today is alive and well in crimea, just as it was in 2014, just to be the other in the program here at our special elections to deal with the heart of moscow, we would joined by the russian federations council by speaker, closer and closer to off. and he was saying, look in the west in the new western regions of russia, particularly the and baffled regions. he said the key of regime will not intimidate russians. it will not stop russians from going to vote in the polls having us of these elections take place. uh approximately 2 years off the specials midway through the recent started and reacting on these uh event on this uh process. our western neighbors. uh, i believe of tried to achieve 3 goals to inflict the military defeat in the front line to inflict an economic defeat by imposing sanctions from the

russia. and to inflict the political defeat. hoping to separate the ruling, assorted this, the president afresh on one side of the civil society and you know, what is happening in the front line. we know what is happening in the russian economy. in most cases, we are moving ahead and these are the actions are the lead time because the are to show our western neighbors and the whole world that there is no gap between their own and consorted this and the population of the civil society overall. so they turn out seems to be how much you have to be hired attorneys are our next phase of the high 50 percent on day 2 and hopefully the outcome of the election. so we don't look no here, but hopefully the outcome of the elections will not create any possibility for anybody to question the result. we also know the in the bell,

good old region and quarter skin, up and down the border line, the western border of russia, the key of regime is showing civilian paulding stations. now i just wanted to ask you, there are no military targets that these all civilian towns and villages with people coming out generations of families who want to vote for the presidency. why is key of targeting civilian areas, particularly civilian polling stations? well, i'm not in a position to explain the excellence taken by the key for so it is, but i believe that they understand perfectly well. they cannot do anything more in the front line. why? once again, they can not defeat the russian economy, and this is called the on the hopes of the they have used to try to, to create a to promote and it was fear of fear in the russian society already.