Video of person urinating on Putin's parents' grave goes viral
In a shocking development, an unknown individual desecrated the grave of Russian President Vladimir Putin's parents by allegedly urinating on it at the Serafimovsky cemetery in Saint Petersburg. The act was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media. However, the video's authenticity has yet to be confirmed. Putin was born in 1952 to Vladimir Snr and Maria. His father was one of four of the 28 soldiers in his unit to come home from war during WWII.
Here's viral video of the incident
Development comes amid Russian presidential polls
The video surfaced amid the Russian presidential election, which is expected to keep President Putin in power for at least six more years. The 71-year-old's electoral triumph would mark him as the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin. While the results are expected shortly after polls close on Sunday, the new leader won't be inaugurated until May.
Many firsts for Kremlin Federation
This polling marks the first time remote online voting has been made available in a Russian presidential election. In addition, voting is taking place in parts of Ukraine now under Russian control, including Novorossia and Donbas, for the first time. Earlier, reports surfaced that Ukrainians living in regions illegally annexed by Russia were being coerced to vote in the presidential election. Two anti-war candidates, Yekaterina Duntsova and Boris Nadezhdin, were also disqualified from participating in the polls.
Know about Putin's popularity and rise to power
To recall, Putin was appointed by Boris Yeltsin as acting president on the last day of 1999. The 71-year-old subsequently won the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, consolidating his place in Russian politics. In spite of the West's allegations of the Russian president being a dictator and war criminal, Putin continues to enjoy an 85% approval rating domestically.
UN chief condemns Russia for holding presidential polls in occupied-Ukraine
Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday reportedly condemned the Kremlin for conducting presidential elections in occupied areas of Ukraine. According to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, Guterres recalled that the attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian regions has no validity under international law. "The UN remains steadfastly committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders," he added.