The main intelligence directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense (HUR) caused a disruption in the online voting system on the first day of Russia’s presidential elections, a source in the agency confirmed to LIGA.net.
The three-day presidential voting in Russia, which started on 15 March, is taking place, including illegally, in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
The disruption was reportedly noted on the Russian state portal “Gosuslugi.”
Although the portal developers attributed the “interruptions to a large number of people wanting to vote,” the source claims that the HUR’s cyber operation caused the disruption.
According to Russian Telegram channels, residents of Moscow, Tyumen, Novosibirsk, and other regions were unable to access the site from 10:00 local time.
Earlier, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center reported that shortly before the elections, representatives of the Russian authorities in the occupied territories of Ukraine visited the homes of pensioners, offering them “humanitarian aid” in the form of 5,000 rubles ($55) on the condition that they fill out a ballot. Notably, possession of a Russian passport is not required for voting.
In Luhansk, 2,600 officials have been drafted to visit homes and persuade residents to vote, according to the UK Defense Ministry report. Heads of educational and other government establishments have been instructed “to ensure their subordinates turn out to vote.”
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