Local elections kick off in 79 regions

Local elections kicked off in Russia during the weekend in 79 regions, with voters casting their ballots for governors, regional legislatures and city and municipal councils.

Russian authorities were also holding local elections in the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia, as well as on the Crimean Peninsula. In 16 Russian regions, voters were casting ballots for local legislatures.

There were also multiple votes for city and municipal councils across the country and races for a few vacant seats in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament.