07:02Hundreds of Russian citizens gathered outside the polling station in Tel Aviv on Sunday as the Russian presidential election entered its final day, with voting taking place in the shadow of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
"The turnout is remarkable, judging by the queues that have formed at all polling stations," said Russian Ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, who admitted that 'martial law' and the 'emergency security' had some impact.
"Three polling stations have been established in Israel - at the Consular Department of the Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Sergei's Courtyard in Jerusalem and the Consulate General of Russia in Haifa. In terms of the number of polling stations, this is less than we organised in previous years and is due precisely to what I have already said, about the special situation in the State of Israel," he continued.
Footage shows voters queuing outside and inside the polling station as well as being registered and casting ballots.
"Today is a big holiday for me," one of the voters shared. "We left in 1997, we saw what Russia was like, on its knees, before that, and we see, what Russia is like now - strong, independent. We really want it to stay that way."
Meanwhile, the ambassador also took the opportunity to comment on a reported 'summons' from the Foreign Ministry of Israel, over alleged 'inflammatory statements' made by officials in Moscow against the country.
"There was no summons. There was a confidential conversation with an explanation of our positions. We expressed our attitude to the discussions at the UN, where our points of view, of course, differ," he said.
Israel claimed that the 'artificial equivalency that Russia is trying to draw between Israel and Hamas is unacceptable'. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it condemned the October 7 attacks but has also strongly criticised Israel's actions in Gaza.
Russia's presidential election takes place over three days on March 15-17, with early voting between February 25 and March 14.
The four candidates are Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), the Communist Party's Nikolai Kharitonov, Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party and incumbent President Vladimir Putin, running as an independent candidate.
'Turnout is remarkable' - Russians in Israel queue to vote in presidential elections in shadow of Gaza conflict
Hundreds of Russian citizens gathered outside the polling station in Tel Aviv on Sunday as the Russian presidential election entered its final day, with voting taking place in the shadow of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
"The turnout is remarkable, judging by the queues that have formed at all polling stations," said Russian Ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, who admitted that 'martial law' and the 'emergency security' had some impact.
"Three polling stations have been established in Israel - at the Consular Department of the Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Sergei's Courtyard in Jerusalem and the Consulate General of Russia in Haifa. In terms of the number of polling stations, this is less than we organised in previous years and is due precisely to what I have already said, about the special situation in the State of Israel," he continued.
Footage shows voters queuing outside and inside the polling station as well as being registered and casting ballots.
"Today is a big holiday for me," one of the voters shared. "We left in 1997, we saw what Russia was like, on its knees, before that, and we see, what Russia is like now - strong, independent. We really want it to stay that way."
Meanwhile, the ambassador also took the opportunity to comment on a reported 'summons' from the Foreign Ministry of Israel, over alleged 'inflammatory statements' made by officials in Moscow against the country.
"There was no summons. There was a confidential conversation with an explanation of our positions. We expressed our attitude to the discussions at the UN, where our points of view, of course, differ," he said.
Israel claimed that the 'artificial equivalency that Russia is trying to draw between Israel and Hamas is unacceptable'. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it condemned the October 7 attacks but has also strongly criticised Israel's actions in Gaza.
Russia's presidential election takes place over three days on March 15-17, with early voting between February 25 and March 14.
The four candidates are Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), the Communist Party's Nikolai Kharitonov, Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party and incumbent President Vladimir Putin, running as an independent candidate.
Hundreds of Russian citizens gathered outside the polling station in Tel Aviv on Sunday as the Russian presidential election entered its final day, with voting taking place in the shadow of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
"The turnout is remarkable, judging by the queues that have formed at all polling stations," said Russian Ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, who admitted that 'martial law' and the 'emergency security' had some impact.
"Three polling stations have been established in Israel - at the Consular Department of the Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Sergei's Courtyard in Jerusalem and the Consulate General of Russia in Haifa. In terms of the number of polling stations, this is less than we organised in previous years and is due precisely to what I have already said, about the special situation in the State of Israel," he continued.
Footage shows voters queuing outside and inside the polling station as well as being registered and casting ballots.
"Today is a big holiday for me," one of the voters shared. "We left in 1997, we saw what Russia was like, on its knees, before that, and we see, what Russia is like now - strong, independent. We really want it to stay that way."
Meanwhile, the ambassador also took the opportunity to comment on a reported 'summons' from the Foreign Ministry of Israel, over alleged 'inflammatory statements' made by officials in Moscow against the country.
"There was no summons. There was a confidential conversation with an explanation of our positions. We expressed our attitude to the discussions at the UN, where our points of view, of course, differ," he said.
Israel claimed that the 'artificial equivalency that Russia is trying to draw between Israel and Hamas is unacceptable'. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it condemned the October 7 attacks but has also strongly criticised Israel's actions in Gaza.
Russia's presidential election takes place over three days on March 15-17, with early voting between February 25 and March 14.
The four candidates are Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), the Communist Party's Nikolai Kharitonov, Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party and incumbent President Vladimir Putin, running as an independent candidate.