Thessaloniki: Tens of metres queues from Russians for elections in their homeland

In progress in Russia, with the consulate of the country in, being full of people waiting to vote… Hundreds flock to the Russian Consulate the Russian subjects living in Thessaloniki, with the queues covering the entire block over the Metropolis. With the planet looking at Russia’s elections, citizens living in Thessaloniki and the District have rushed to exercise their electoral right. “We came to vote because we feel this need for the future of our country. Putin may be in power for 24 years and the winner will re-appear, but we too must contribute to the election process, even if we are not home,” said a Russian citizen at the onstoday.gr. She underlines that she has been waiting in line for 45 minutes, without yet her turn to vote. Around the Russian Consulate police forces have been deployed, and two cages have been placed with SWAT platoons. The critics of the Russian president, who has been at the helm of the country for 24 years, will try in any case to make their voice heard, despite the authorities’ warnings, calling on their supporters to come to the polls in broad daylight. Elections are held in 11 different time zones in the largest country on the planet. The first polling stations opened in the Tsukotka and Kamchatka Peninsula, in the far east, late last night (Greece time). The last polling stations in the Kaliningrad enclave in the Baltic are expected to close tonight at 20.00 (Greece time). Exit Polls will then be published and the first results from the state institute Vtsiom. Vote count is expected to be completed tomorrow morning.