Russians vote in local polls

Russians yesterday voted in dozens of local elections that will be scrutinised for signs of discontent with the ruling United Russia party following the suspected poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Navalny, 44, had hoped to undermine United Russia's grip on regional power and had urged his supporters to vote against it tactically before he fell gravely ill in what Germany and his allies say was an attempt to kill him last month. United Russia, which backs President Vladimir Putin, dominates regional politics, but the elections come at a time of public frustration over years of falling wages and the government's handling of the pandemic. Seen as a dry run for next September's parliament elections, the regional polls will elect 18 governors and an array of local parliaments and city councils.