Missile attack hits Belgorod on second day of Russian elections

A Ukrainian missile strike claimed two lives in western Russia on Saturday (March 16), while a separate drone attack ignited an oil refinery, marking the second day of an election that President Vladimir Putin has accused Kyiv of seeking to disrupt.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has overshadowed the three-day presidential election, widely expected to secure Putin another six years in the Kremlin, though scattered protests have punctuated the event.

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Ella Pamfilova, head of the electoral commission, reported 20 incidents of ballot box tampering, eight attempted arson cases, and one smoke bomb incident.

In the Belgorod region, where cross-border attacks from Ukraine have become routine, the governor confirmed the deaths of a man and a woman. Footage from Reuters depicted fires raging and air raid sirens wailing through the deserted streets of Belgorod city.

Dmitry Azarov, governor of the Samara region, disclosed that the Syzran refinery was ablaze, while another refinery narrowly escaped an attack.

Although authorities managed to contain the fire later on, the incidents underscored Ukraine's capacity to strike deep into Russian territory, particularly targeting its energy infrastructure. Earlier in the week, two major refineries were set ablaze by drone strikes, significantly disrupting production.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported repelling Ukrainian attempts to breach the border into the Belgorod region. In response to the heightened tensions, Governor Gladkov announced school closures for Monday and Tuesday in most of the region, along with the shutdown of shopping centers in Belgorod city on Sunday and Monday.

Friday witnessed Russia's most deadly assault in weeks, with missiles striking a residential area in Ukraine's Odesa, resulting in over 20 deaths and 70 injuries.

Putin's dominance remains unchallenged despite the presence of three other candidates on the ballot, none of whom pose a credible threat. Navalny's supporters, decrying the election as a farce, plan mass protests nationwide on Sunday.

Pamfilova condemned disruptors as "scumbags" facing potential five-year prison sentences, attributing the unrest to Ukrainian intelligence and its foreign allies.

Amidst claims of cyberattacks, United Russia, the ruling party, suspended non-essential services to counter what it described as widespread denial-of-service attacks, blaming Ukraine and Western nations for the unprecedented level of cyber warfare traced to IP addresses in Western Europe and North America.

(With inputs from agencies)