Ukraine Attacks Oil Refinery in Samara Region on Second Day of Russian Presidential Elections

On Saturday, March 16, Ukraine's missile attack in western Russia resulted in two deaths, and a separate drone attack set fire to an oil refinery in the Samara region, located 850 kilometers southeast of Moscow. According to Reuters, the Ukraine war has overshadowed the voting in the three-day presidential elections, which will undoubtedly keep Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin for another six years. The governor of Belgorod, where cross-border attacks from Ukraine have become part of daily life, reported the deaths of a man and a woman. A video obtained by Reuters shows the fire and air raid sirens in the empty streets of the city. Dmitry Azarov, the governor of the Samara region, stated, 'The Sizran refinery was on fire, but the attack on the second refinery was neutralized.' Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukrainian forces' attempts to cross the border into the Belgorod region were repelled. According to local Russian officials, due to the 'current situation,' schools in many areas will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, and shopping centers in Belgorod will be closed on Sunday and Monday. Ukraine has carried out repeated attacks on Russian territory this week, particularly targeting oil refineries. In response, on Friday, March 15, Russia targeted a residential area in the port city of Odessa, Ukraine, in one of its deadliest missile attacks in recent weeks, resulting in at least 20 deaths and over 70 injuries. The Associated Press reports that Russia has an advantage on the battlefield, albeit with small and slow gains. However, Ukraine has made Russia appear vulnerable behind the front lines, including long-range drone attacks deep into Russia and forcing the Russian Black Sea fleet to take a defensive posture. The presidential elections in Russia began on Friday and will continue until Sunday, March 18. The three-day presidential elections are being held under the shadow of a brutal crackdown on independent media and human rights groups, allowing 71-year-old Vladimir Putin to maintain complete control over the political system. Political opponents of Vladimir Putin are either imprisoned or exiled abroad, with the most notable being Alexei Navalny, who recently died in a remote prison in the Arctic. Navalny's death has pointed fingers at the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin himself, although the Kremlin has denied any involvement in his death. Meanwhile, the head of the Russian Electoral Commission threatened on Friday that anyone who 'disrupts' the elections could face up to five years in prison. The deadly missile attack by Russia on Odessa left 20 dead and over 70 injured.