London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Jailed Kremlin Critic Tells Russians To Sabotage Upcoming Elections

Jailed Kremlin Critic Tells Russians To Sabotage Upcoming Elections

Alexei Navalny's allies are banned from taking part in the Sept. 17-19 election, and United Russia, which supports President Vladimir Putin, is expected to win despite a slump in its popularity.
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny appealed to Russians from behind bars on Thursday nearly a year after he was poisoned with what the West says was a nerve agent and told them to vote tactically in elections next month to try to hurt the Kremlin.

His smart voting plan is one of the last levers Navalny and his allies have after a crackdown this summer outlawed his movement as "extremist".

His allies are banned from taking part in the Sept. 17-19 election, and United Russia, which supports President Vladimir Putin, is expected to win despite a slump in its popularity.

The election is seen as a dry-run for presidential elections in 2024. Putin, who has been in power for more than 20 years, has yet to say whether he plans to run again.

"They've declared half the country extremists to grab all the constituencies...," Navalny, wrote in a post on Instagram.

"They haven't let the strong candidates (run) in the election.... they're scared of smart voting," said Navalny, who has published online posts via his lawyers since being jailed in February for 2.5 years for parole violations he calls trumped up.

Friday will mark the first anniversary of his poisoning, something he blames on the Kremlin. It dismisses what happened to him as a Western-backed smear campaign to damage Russia.

His voting campaign requires followers to sign up and be allocated a candidate who is judged to have the best chance of defeating United Russia in their area.

Navalny's allies say the campaign has come under government pressure.

Police this week came to the homes of at least 300 Navalny supporters listed in a database of registered supporters that was leaked in the spring, according to the OVD-Info protest monitor.

The authorities say Navalny and his allies are extremists intent on destabilising Russia.

Leonid Volkov, a Navalny ally, told Reuters he thought the authorities might block the website used to organise the smart voting campaign.

"We're already seeing loads of (measures by the authorities) and the degree of hysteria is only going to grow in the coming month," he said.

In 2019, Navalny declared his smart voting tactic a success at local Moscow elections after 20 candidates backed by his plan won seats in the city legislature.

A Kremlin source played down the idea of the plan as a threat. The source said the Kremlin was more concerned by discontent over stagnant or falling living standards.

"Smart voting is not such a big problem for us in terms of the country. Moscow, St Petersburg - yes, there might be problems here, but not for the other regions," the source said.

"The problem that worries the presidential administration more is ... disgruntled people. That could influence the results. But I think United Russia will probably still keep a majority."

United Russia secured a constitutional majority in the last parliamentary elections in 2016, but its rating stood at 27% earlier this month, its lowest in 13 years, according to a state pollster.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×