In Photos: Russia Opens Voting in Occupied Ukrainian Territories, Frontline Areas
While Russian citizens will cast their votes in the 2024 presidential election from March 15-17, early voting is already underway in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.
Russia claimed to have annexed the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in September 2022 following referendums that Kyiv and the West described as a sham.
Moscow has opened polling stations in the parts of these four regions that it controls, despite the regions being internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.
Here is a look at photos from the early voting in occupied Ukraine and frontline areas:
Russia claimed to have annexed the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in September 2022 following referendums that Kyiv and the West described as a sham.
Moscow has opened polling stations in the parts of these four regions that it controls, despite the regions being internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.
Here is a look at photos from the early voting in occupied Ukraine and frontline areas:
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/be/TASS_68110108.jpg)
An election official collects votes from apartment to apartment in occupied Donetsk.
Dmitry Yagodkin / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/7b/TASS_68110143.jpg)
Early voting in Donetsk for the Russian presidential election.
Dmitry Yagodkin / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/3b/TASS_68069770.jpg)
A Cossack casts his ballot in Donetsk.
Dmitry Yagodkin / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/03/TASS_68113717.jpg)
A serviceman stands by a ballot box in the city of Sievierodonetsk.
Alexander Reka / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/6a/TASS_68112956.jpg)
Early voting in the occupied city of Sievierodonetsk in the Luhansk region.
Alexander Reka / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/e4/TASS_67971060.jpg)
Local election commission members and a voter are seen during early voting in the village of Semenivka in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine.
Alexander Polegenko / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/45/TASS_67971338.jpg)
A woman casts her ballot in the village of Semenivka.
Alexander Polegenko / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/38/TASS_67927494.jpg)
A woman walks past a banner reading "Your Vote Is Important" in Luhansk.
Alexander Reka / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/cb/TASS_67906299.jpg)
A Russian serviceman votes during early voting near the front lines.
Russian Defense Ministry / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/06/TASS_68105249.jpg)
A serviceman of the Russian Army Group Dnepr during early voting near the frontlines.
Russian Defense Ministry / TASS
![](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/image/1360/5a/TASS_68105247.jpg)
A serviceman of the Russian Army Group Dnepr during early voting near the frontlines.
Russian Defense Ministry / TASS