Exiled Russians vote in overseas polls to protest Putin and the Ukraine war

Russians residing outside their homeland voted on Sunday, the last day of the State Duma election, as a symbolic gesture of dissent against President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. Many participants described the vote as a moral duty, even though they doubted it could influence outcomes within Russia.

In Yerevan, a voter who identified herself as Olga said she did not expect her ballot to change anything inside the country, adding that the act was "about putting on a bit of a show" and was meant to convey solidarity.

The election, the first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is likely to be used by the Kremlin to claim domestic support for its policies. Most anti-war candidates were barred from the ballot, and the major parties have consistently aligned with United Russia on key issues.

Hundreds of thousands of Russians, many young and well-educated, have fled to neighboring former Soviet states and elsewhere since the war began. Despite years abroad, several interviewees said they remain committed to returning and helping build a democratic Russia.

"We still have our whole lives ahead of us, and we really want to be in Russia one day and help build a new, democratic country," said 24-year-old Varvara, a Moscow native speaking to reporters in Berlin.

Protesters outside the Russian embassy in Berlin displayed a placard accusing Putin of being a murderer and war criminal, while others held signs supporting Russian prisoners jailed for opposing the war. Some voters expressed deep pessimism about Russia's future, but a man named Valery in Yerevan said he hoped his vote could still make a difference.

"I want to believe, with every fibre of my being, that we can still make a difference and vote against the ruling authorities," he told Reuters.