Russian President Vladimir Putin signed controversial electronic voting procedures into law Monday.
The remote system is now available for use across all regions of Russia, whereas it was only available in certain regions before. The measure, which had already passed parliament, appeared on a government portal after being signed into law, according to Reuters.
Defeated parliamentary candidates had protested the system, claiming they were cheated of victory in the September election, and contested the results of their contests through a public pressure campaign and lawsuits, the report added.
WHITE HOUSE SAYS THERE WILL BE ‘CONSEQUENCES’ BUT NO ‘RED LINES’ FOR RUSSIA
The news comes as Putin reportedly fired multiple Russian military officials and as a top spy was arrested amid a slow-going invasion of Ukraine. Multiple high-ranking military officials and thousands of Russian troops — Moscow says hundreds — have been killed in combat in Ukraine.
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Recent reports indicate that Putin is attempting to lay blame for his failure to deliver a swift defeat to Ukraine in part on the FSB’s foreign intelligence branch, also known as the Fifth Service, for misleading the autocrat into thinking an invasion of Ukraine would be easier.
