Recently the independent journalistic platform Meduza obtained an archive of video footage from polling stations during the last Duma elections of September 2021. Independent video monitors have analyzed the records and concluded that the number of stuffed ballots cast could have surpassed 17 million out of the 56 million cast votes in these Duma-elections: that is about 30 percent of the turn-out and 15 percent of all registered voters in Russia.

Although United Russia easily won the elections, there was nervousness at the Kremlin. On election day Putin's favoured oligarch Oleg Deripaska of aluminium giant Rusal sent 11,000 participants to Moscow for a posh conference on family values and geopolitics. They were told that, if necessary, they would be summoned to a large scale political rally in support of the regime.

On September 19 Russia sees Duma elections. In fear of a (far fetched) Belarusian scenario and angered by Navalny's challenge the Kremlin decided to crack down on all forms of independant political activities and journalism. The picture is bleak. But our columnist Mark Galeotti argues that the Kremlin will not be able to eradicate all forms of opposition. Don't underestimate the resilience of the Russians.