Russians have begun voting in a presidential election, which Vladimir Putin is certain to win when the polls close on Sunday. There have very unusually been some protests, such as this woman pouring dye into a ballot box. But President Putin faces no serious opposition with his rivals dead, in prison, or in exile. This report is from our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg.

Russia's democracy is the best in the world, the Kremlin says. At polling At Station 38 in Moscow, we found a choice of candidates and plenty of voters. Democracy in action, right? Not quite. Realistically, only one man can win this. Vladimir Putin. The man who's been on Russia's political stage for the last quarter of a century. Vladimir Putin faces no serious challenger. His fiercest rivals are in exile or in prison. What's in the. Not that Alaa, whose son is fighting in Ukraine, wants any change at the top. Of course, I voted for Putin, she says. I trust him.

But not everyone who came out today was actually voting.

This, one of a string of attacks on polling stations across Russia. They're unprecedented. After chaotic scenes here, an arsonist is detained, and green ink poured into a ballot box. The authorities called the attackers scum. Some voters were greeted with a show Well, it's one way to bang the drum for Russian elections. There is voting, too, in parts of Ukraine, which are under Russian occupation. What Russia calls its new territoryism. The Ukrainian government called the election here illegal. Polls close on Sunday night. Expect a Putin landslide. Unpredictability is very much a feature of life now in Russia, but that does not apply to elections. The political system here is built around one man, Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin tightly controls that system, including elections. So Mr. Putin's re-election is not in doubt. And is the message the Kremlin will be sending after this, that Vladimir Putin has the full support of his people. Steve Rosenberg, BBC News, Moscow.

Well, in Ukraine, these were the scenes today in the city of Odessa on the Black Sea, the result of the latest Russian missile strikes. The authorities said at least 20 people were killed and more than 70 injured in this residential neighborhood. Meanwhile, in Russia, there's been shelling by Ukraine border towns. This is Belgarod. Ukraine has carried out a series of such attacks in recent days. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of attempting to disrupt the Russian presidential election. Well, our correspondence, Sarah Rainsford, is in Ukraine's capital Kyiv for us now, and a significant attack this on Odessa, Sarah.

It is. This is the deadliest attack in some time on Odessa, and it is the details that are particularly grim because Ukrainian officials are saying two missiles missiles were fired by Russia from Crimea. The first one landed on the city, and it was when emergency teams rushed to the spot that a second missile was fired from Crimea and hit exactly the same place. Now, we know that a medic was killed, a young firefighter was also amongst those killed and injured. Many dozens of people are in hospital. Now, we are being told that those missiles were fired from Crimea. We're saying we don't know what exactly Russia was targeting, but we do know there were some personnel amongst the casualties. Now, President Zelenskyy tonight has called this a vile attack. He said Ukraine's military will respond. But I do think it is a stark reminder of what that vote in Russia means for here in Ukraine. Because, of course, more Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin means more war here in Ukraine. It means more missile attacks. It means more days like today in Odessa, with dozens of dead and injured.