Thousands of people turned out at polling stations across Russia to take part in what the Russian opposition said was a peaceful but symbolic political protest against the re-election of President Vladimir Putin.
In a protest called "Noon Against Putin," Russians opposed to Putin went to their polling stations at noon to vote for other candidates or to cancel their votes.
Dozens of arrests were reported, while voting was held under heavy security.
The vote on March 17 ends the three-day presidential election in which there was almost no opposition for the current Russian president.
Before his death, the strongest critic of the Kremlin and the leader of the opposition, Alexei Navalny, called for the "Noon against Putin" protests.
Despite his death, the idea took hold, and the protest, which circumvented Russia's strict laws on public gatherings, called on people to gather at polling stations at 12 p.m.
Voters across the country answered the call. Videos and pictures posted on social media showed long lines of voters forming at noon in Novosibirsk, Chita, Yekaterinburg, Perm and Moscow, among other cities.
The Moscow Prosecutor's Office threatened to prosecute those they consider to be obstructing the election process at noon.
Russian election officials officially announced that by the morning of March 17, more than 60 percent of the country's 114 million eligible voters had cast their ballots in person or online.
During the first two days of voting, some expressed anger at Putin's authoritarian rule by destroying ballot boxes with green antiseptic paint. Russian officials and independent media say 28 cases have been reported.
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Similar incidents were reported in at least nine cities, including St. Petersburg, Sochi and Volgograd.
In Moscow, police arrested a woman who set fire to her ballot in a voting booth on March 15, Russian news agencies reported, citing election officials in the Russian capital.
Ela Pamfilova, head of the election commission, said on March 16 that there were 20 cases of attempts to destroy ballots by pouring liquid into ballot boxes and eight incidents where people tried to destroy ballots by burning or using smoke bombs. According to independent media reports, by noon on the second day of voting, the police had opened at least 15 criminal investigations into cases of vandalism. That number is expected to grow.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy leader of the Security Council, said those protesting the election were "villains" and "traitors" who were helping the country's enemies, especially Ukraine.
Putin (71), who has been continuously in the position of president or prime minister for the past almost 25 years, is competing against three lesser-known politicians: the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Leonid Slutsky, the deputy speaker of the State Duma Vladislav Davankov from the New People party and the deputy of the State Duma Nikolai Kharitonov from the Communist Party, whose political positions hardly differ from Putin's.
Last month, Russia's Central Election Commission rejected the candidacy of Boris Nadezhdin, a 60-year-old politician who has criticized Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
His candidacy was rejected due to, as explained by the Commission, invalid signatures of support for his candidacy. Despite his appeals, the Supreme Court of Russia confirmed the decision of the Election Commission.
Ukrainian and Western governments condemned Russia for holding the vote in the occupied parts of Ukraine, calling it illegal.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Russia's efforts to "hold presidential elections in areas of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation."
Many observers say Putin fended off even the weakest challengers to secure a major victory that he can cite as proof that Russians support the war in Ukraine and his leadership of it. Meanwhile, Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia ahead of the election, including attacks deep inside the country.
Voting also takes place in Montenegro.
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