Hello and welcome to BBC News. I'm Lekrasa Burak, and voting is underway in presidential elections in Russia, which will almost certainly see Vladimir Putin extend his quarter of a century in power. The process began in Russia's Far East several hours ago. These pictures came in to us from Vladivostok. Let's show the scene live at a polling station in Moscow, with people and officials there in that particular polling station. There is the potential for a run-off vote if no candidate wins more than 50% in the first round. However, with many of Mr. Putin's opponents unable to run, it does It's a dream inevitable that Vladimir Putin will be re-elected without a need for that second ballot. The election is encompassing the territories which Russia annexed in Ukraine. In all, more than 112 million people people have the right to vote. At the last election in 2018, Mr. Putin took more than three quarters of the vote. Our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, has more on the issues surrounding this election.

These days, when Vladimir of Chinikow paints Russia, the result is very dark. From a mountain of skulls and a dictator's ambition to this. Russia's war in Ukraine likened to Stalin's terror. The 86-year-old artist had taken his anti-war message onto the streets of Bordovsk. Graffiting stopped the war. All these paintings were scrubbed out, and Vladimir fined twice for discrediting the Russian army. But he continues to speak out against the invasion of Ukraine. I believe that this is a crime against the territorial integrity of a neighboring country.

It's a crime. And if I keep silent about it, it's like I'm condoning it.

Last month, after the death in prison of opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, Vladimir went into town. On this memorial to victims of political repression, he painted Mr. Navalny's face. It was quickly erased. But Vladimir has created this his Navalny portrait at home.

Where's Russia heading? Some say we're on our way to more repression, totalitarianism, and to full dictatorship.

But there is another picture of Russia, one much brighter, the official version. The picture the authorities want Russians to see is not of a A country that is aggressive abroad and repressive at home, but a Russia with a glorious past and a bright future of heroes and patriots who not only love their country, but also their current President. Instead of dictatorship, it's devotion to the leader on state TV and an actionman President, flying high and on course for an election landslide. Mind you, Vladimir Putin faces no serious serious challenge. His fiercest critiques are in exile or in prison or in Alexei Navalny's case, dead.

It's absolutely impossible to say about our presidential election that this election is fair and free.

Politician Boris Najeršin was barred from running in the election. He claims it was because his anti-war message was growing too popular with the public.

In Russia, we have propaganda and we have a myth that everybody in Russia, support Putin, and everybody in Russia support the special military operation. It's really not the fact. My election campaign showed that a lot of people against the Putin's politics and a lot of people against the special military operation.

But he's on the ballot. Although when I caught up with the Communist candidate, Nikolai Kharitonov, he praised Putin. Vladimir Where Putin, he said, is consolidating the nation for victory. And back in Borysk, many seem to believe that. I hope Putin wins, Ludmilla says, although we do have talented leaders who could run the country in an emergency. A Putin-less Russia means an emergency. Now, that is a picture the Kremlin will be more than happy to see painted. Steve Rosenberg, BBC News, Bordewsk.

Well, let's stay with this and speak now to Sergey Sanowich, who is an expert in disinformation and social media platforms, and also a fellow at Stanford University near San Francisco in the United States. Hello and welcome to the program. Just on that matter of whether these elections, what the point is of these elections, the Kremlin controls absolutely everything, including the elections. So what's the point of them?

Well, I think in modern world, as long as it's not a monarchy or a military junta, what is the other way to legitimize the leader? Otherwise, why Putin is different from Prigozhin or Gorkin? He needs to do that. But also there are additional functions. First of all, it's monitoring local bureaucracy, how well they can address local social needs. If you have a roof leaking, it's It's a better chance to get it fixed ahead of elections. And don't forget all these people working in propaganda. There is a rent-seeking motive, too. The weekends in Dubai and Rolls-Royce, they cost money. So all this money spent from federal budget, there are a lot of people looking to get rid of them.

And on propaganda and disinformation, misinformation, how much does Mr. Putin rely on in that aspect?

I would say it's important overall, but continuously. I think specifically when it comes to elections, winning for Putin is easy. I'm not even talking about ballot staffing and altering the final score, which he does, too. But the most important thing, he controls who runs. So this is usually absolutely faceless people, not eager to run, usually second, third-level functionaries in the loyal opposition. When I say loyal opposition, it's not like in the UK. It means that they do whatever Kremlin tells them to do. These days, yeah.

Yeah. Let's just move it forward, and let's say that Mr. Putin does, in fact, win this next term. What are ordinary Russians making of the war in Ukraine? Has Mr. At any point during campaigning brought up the likelihood of further conscriptions? How would that sit with Russians, do you think?

I think he's looking desperately to avoid it. It would be very unpopular. His approach is instead to lure people to join the military voluntarily. He's paying really good money for that. He proposed in the recent address to for the parliament to increase taxes. And so this money will pay for increased military production, which is very important. And these days, United States is slow in providing support for Ukraine. So Russia is looking to take an advantage and also to pay for these soldiers to come voluntarily because mobilization, rather, would be very unpopular.

Indeed. Okay, Sergueï Sonowitch, Sergueï Sanovich. Thank you very much indeed. Just to remind viewers that this is a three-day election, and you can keep up to date with that right here on BBC News.