Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the public to vote in the elections that begin on Friday and are overshadowed by allegations of fraud and manipulation.
"Only you, the citizens of Russia, determine the fate of the fatherland," Putin said in a speech broadcast on state television at night with excerpts quoted by Russian media on Thursday morning.
Russians are due to head to the polls for a presidential election that concludes on Sunday, with Putin seeking a further six-year term.
His re-election is seen as a foregone conclusion in the absence of any serious challenger, but the authorities are doing their utmost to present the poll as convincing.
Three rival candidates, who either openly support Putin or who follow the Kremlin's line, are seen as having no chance, according to a survey of eligible voters by a pro-government pollster earlier this week.
"The elections are a step into the future," said Putin.
He also briefly mentioned the war on Ukraine, which he launched in February 2022, praising Russian soldiers for their "courage and heroism."
Putin also mentioned the elections being held in territories of Ukraine illegally annexed by Moscow during the war.
These votes, organized by Moscow in Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, are illegal under international law and are not recognised internationally as elections.
Russians vote in presidential elections from March 15 to 17 and are widely expected to secure Putin his fifth term in office. Kremlin opponents are calling for the result not to be recognized as the polls do not meet democratic standards, with independent observers noting cases of fraud and manipulation.
The central election commission did not authorize any opposing candidates to run in the election and others are in prison or have fled abroad, meaning Putin has no serious opposition.
Just last month, dissident Alexei Navalny, a well-known Kremlin opponent who was long persecuted by the government, died in prison. His death was blamed by many in Russia and abroad on the authorities.
