Russia and Ukraine downed drones and rockets as polling stations opened across on the first day of voting in the presidential election in Russia.
Kyiv conducted significant air attacks on Russia earlier in the week, just before the start of the election. The anticipated outcome is another six-year term for President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
Russia’s defense ministry announced on Friday that it intercepted drones and rockets over the Belgorod border region and the Kaluga region, located southwest of Moscow.
“Air defence equipment intercepted and destroyed five drones and two rockets over the territories of the Belgorod and Kaluga regions,” it said in a statement on Telegram.
In a later statement, it said another seven Ukrainian-launched rockets had been shot down over Belgorod at 8:15 am (0515 GMT)—shortly after voting got underway in the region.
READ ALSO: Olubadan of Ibadan: Things to know about late Alli Okunmade II
The state-run RIA Novosti news agency said voters left a polling station in Belgorod city to head to a bomb shelter as authorities issued an air alert and ordered people to take cover.
The governor of Russia’s Lipetsk region also said Friday that two drones were downed in a district around 300 kilometres (180 miles) away from Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 27 Iranian-style drones and eight missiles at its territory overnight.
In a statement on social media, it said: “27 out of 27 Shaheds were destroyed.”
Polling stations were opening across Russia’s 11 time zones on Friday, as Putin called on voters to back his leadership despite a “difficult period” for the country.
