Kremlin critics call for mass protests on final day of Russian election: Widow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny urges voters to spoil ballots and swamp polling stations as Putin looks certain to win another six years in power

Critics of the Kremlin have called for Russian citizens en masse to protest the third day of national elections in the nation that look set to keep Vladimir Putin in power for another six years. 

Voting ends tonight, after polling stations opened on Friday morning. The election is expected to be a landslide victory for Putin, who has managed to get rid of all of his credible opponents. 

Already, voters have protested the rigged election, with many seen pouring dye and paint into ballot boxes, and setting fire to polling stations. 

And now, Kremlin critics have called for Russians to keep protesting across the country as polls come to a close. 

Yulia Navalny, the widow of dead opposition leader Alexei Navalny, called for protests in the run up to the election, and said Russian citizens should show up in droves at the same time to overwhelm polling stations.

She called for protesters to spoil ballots by writing 'Navalny' on them, or vote for candidates other than Putin, adding that the strategy was push by Navalny himself before his untimely death in mid-February. 

Yulia Navalny (pictured), the widow of dead opposition leader Alexei Navalny , called for protests in the run up to the election, and said Russian citizens should show up in droves at the same time to overwhelm polling stations

Already, voters have protested the rigged election, with many seen pouring dye and paint into ballot boxes

Many Russians have spoiled their ballots already

Alla Gutnikova, a former journalist who lived in Russia and was sentenced to two years of 'corrective labour' for running a dissident magazine, urged anti-Putin Russians to go to polling stations to spoil their ballots in an animated video posted to her Instagram Story. 

Maria Pevchikh, another Russian journalist and the head of investigations at Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption group, also took to Instagram to ask voters to turn up to polling stations to elect dissenting politicians. 

She said: 'Come to your polling stations on Sunday at sharp noon. Look around, you will see like-minded people and friends. You will make sure that there is hope anyway.

'Alexei Navalny asked us to do exactly like this. Let's do this in memory of Alexei. How else?'

But others weren't happy with pushing for voters to spoil their ballots. 

A woman was quickly surrounded by officials. One person was reportedly detained

An apparent act of arson at a Russian polling station on March 15, as polls opened 

Putin in set to win another six years in power 

The box is seen to go up in flames after a woman apparently set fire to it earlier today

Former State Duma member Ilya Ponomarev took to X to say that turning out to vote would only benefit the Russian state, as it would boost engagement numbers and would give Putin an air of legitimacy. 

He said: The Kremlin is only interested in three things: turnout, turnout and turnout again. 

'Therefore, all oppositionists who come to the polling stations tomorrow will directly help Putin, regardless of what voting strategy they choose.'

The Kremlin has sought a high turnout and as polls opened for a third day in western Russia, officials said the turnout in the first two days had already reached 60% nationwide. An exit poll will be published shortly after voting ends at 1800 GMT. 

Kremlin critic and chess legend Garry Kasparov meanwhile said that the Kremlin was a 'terrorist regime that only understands force', and called for the West to intervene with a stronger hand. 

Voting is taking place at polling stations across the vast country's 11 time zones, in illegally annexed regions of Ukraine, and online. More than 60% of eligible voters had cast ballots as of early Sunday.

Despite tight controls, multiple cases of vandalism at polling stations were reported.

A woman was arrested in St. Petersburg after she threw a firebomb at a polling station entrance, and several others were detained across the country for throwing green antiseptic or ink into ballot boxes.

Despite tight controls, multiple cases of vandalism at polling stations were reported

Voting is taking place at polling stations across the vast country's 11 time zones, in illegally annexed regions of Ukraine, and online

More than 60% of eligible voters had cast ballots as of early Sunday.

Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of the Russian Security Council chaired by Putin, called for toughening the punishment for those who vandalize polling stations, arguing they should face treason charges for attempting to derail the vote amid the fighting in Ukraine.

Ahead of the election, Putin cast his war in Ukraine, now in its third year, as a life-or-death battle against the West seeking to break up Russia.

The 71-year-old Russian leader faces three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties who have refrained from any criticism of his 24-year rule or his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. 

Putin has boasted of Russian battlefield successes in the run-up to the vote, but a massive Ukrainian drone attack across Russia early Sunday sent a reminder of challenges faced by Moscow.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four near the Russian capital. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage.

Russia's wartime economy has proven resilient, expanding despite bruising Western sanctions. The Russian defense industry has served as a key growth engine, working around the clock to churn out missiles, tanks and ammunition.