An exit poll has suggested that, as expected, President Putin is heading for a Landslide Win, taking nearly 88 of the vote. The final day of voting saw large queues form at some Polling Stations, in an apparent show of dissent. Allies of the late opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, had called on people to come out at midday in moscow and elsewhere to vote for any other candidate or spoil their ballots. There were no Protest Chants and the authorities had warned that activists could be arrested. A Rights Monitoring Group in russia says more than 70 people were detained. Mr navalny� s widow, yulia, was amongst those who queued for several hours outside the Russian Embassy in berlin to vote. She was greeted by supporters with flowers and applause. After voting she told reporters that she had written the name of her late husband on her ballot paper. She also thanked her fellow russians for queuing so long. A Russian Election official says more than Eight Million russians cast their ballots online. This is the first time that electronic voting has been used in a russian president ial vote. Our first report is from our russia editor, steve rosenberg. Singing it is a strange feature of Russian Elections that they often dont look like elections. Outside Polling Station 1321 they were putting on a carnival to entertain the voters, the cast of actors a large one. But when it comes to wholl be president , theres only one star of the show. In this race, Vladimir Putin was pretty much unbeatable. There were other candidates, but no serious challenger. Potential rivals are quickly removed from the political stage, forced into exile or put in jail and elections tightly controlled by the kremlin. But if they couldnt win, mr putins opponents could at least protest. And they did in many parts of russia. Opposition figures had called on russians to flood Polling Stations at midday to vote against putin or spoil their ballots. A symbolic protest against the system. We were here. Ive never seen queues like this before at a russian Polling Station. Before his death in prison, Alexei Navalny had backed the protest. It took courage to come. The authorities had warned that large crowds at noon would be viewed as illegal gatherings. I was here. Ivan, not his real name, told me why hed come. It was important for me to see faces of other people who would come here today and to see that im not alone in my political views. For now, therell be no change in the kremlin. This election was never about, would Vladimir Putin win or wouldnt he . Elections here are designed to ensure he wins and wins big. From the outset, for the kremlin, this vote was about creating the impression that mr putin has a mandate from his people, not only for war in ukraine, but also for what hes doing at home. Transforming russia into an increasingly militaristic society in confrontation with the west. But across town, muscovites continue to pay tribute to Alexei Navalny, the man whod wanted to be russias president. Here, a ballot paper in place of putins name, navalny� s, and this message. Hes the candidate we wanted. Steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. The British Foreign secretary, david cameron, has been tweeting about the Russian Election, he says the polls have closed in russia, following the illegal holding of elections on ukrainian territory, a lack of choice for voters and no independent osce monitoring. This is not what free and Fair Elections look like. The white house said it was obviously not free nor fair. Germany called it a Pseudo Election with a result that would surprise nobody. With me is Francis Scarr who follows russia for bbc monitoring. Hello there transition, reaction from round the globe and people not that impressed or surprised . I from round the globe and people not that impressed or surprised . That impressed or surprised . I dont think we should that impressed or surprised . I dont think we should have that impressed or surprised . I dont think we should have expected that impressed or surprised . I dont think we should have expected any. Think we should have expected any other reaction, it was very clear, even before voting day this was not going to be an election held according to Democratic International standards. President putin has cleared the opposition, those on the ballot, the other three were very much loyal mps within the russian state duma. People like navalny had died. A candidate who was campaigning a few weeks ago, on a very nominally anti war line but soft and not particularly critical of President Putin, even he was. Allowed on to the ballot, the election authorities claimed that the number of signatures which he had been elect collecting in support, that is something you have do as an independent, some were ini have lid. So even before today, whether we look at any kind of Ballot Stuffing or anything like that, it wasnt a free or Fair Election. That, it wasnt a free or Fair Election that, it wasnt a free or Fair Election. , election. So the figure at the moment. Election. So the figure at the moment. I election. So the figure at the moment, i mean election. So the figure at the moment, i mean obviously l election. So the figure at the moment, i mean obviously these are early exit polls are putting up up towards 88 . Is that right . Round 50 of votes towards 8896 . Is that right . Round 5096 of votes have towards 8896 . Is that right . Round 5096 of votes have been towards 8896 . Is that right . Round 5096 of votes have been counted i 50 of votes have been counted according to the election authorities and President Putins heading for 88 pearls with his closest on 4 . Heading for 88 pearls with his closest on 496. Heading for 88 pearls with his closest on 496. ,. ,. , , closest on 496. How does that compare to revious closest on 496. How does that compare to previous election . Closest on 496. How does that compare to previous election . It closest on 496. How does that compare to previous election . It is closest on 496. How does that compare to previous election . It is less to previous election . It is less tiuht to previous election . It is less tight than to previous election . It is less tight than before, to previous election . It is less tight than before, i to previous election . It is less tight than before, i think to previous election . It is less tight than before, i think we i to previous election . It is less l tight than before, i think we can say, but what is particularly interesting, is the results coming interesting, is the results coming in from occupied ukraine, where of course, the kremlin is keen to present this as a genuine show of support for russia through these, the ukrainians who have been annexed by the kremlin, and who President Putin at the start of the full scale invasion over two years ago claimed he was protecting, so with have seen figures of 95 in support of kremlin from donetsk, and figures over 90 from donetsk, and figures over 90 from crimea as well, which was annexed earlier in 2014. 1ust from crimea as well, which was annexed earlier in 2014. Just remind me how many annexed earlier in 2014. Just remind me how many people annexed earlier in 2014. Just remind me how many people are annexed earlier in 2014. Just remind me how many people are we annexed earlier in 2014. Just remind me how many people are we talking| me how many people are we talking about in terms of population in annexed ukraine . About in terms of population in annexed ukraine . Several million, ci , ci annexed ukraine . Several million, city. City of annexed ukraine . Several million, city. City of been annexed ukraine . Several million, city, city of been nets annexed ukraine . Several million, city, city of been nets sets annexed ukraine . Several million, city, city of been nets sets a annexed ukraine . Several million, city, city of been nets sets a large | city, city of been nets sets a large city, city of been nets sets a large city but in her son, kherson russia doesnt control the main psities so we are talking about rural areas. Psities so we are talking about rural areas. That is interesting. Thank you rural areas. That is interesting. Thank you very rural areas. That is interesting. Thank you very much. Rural areas. That is interesting. Thank you very much. To rural areas. That is interesting. Thank you very much. To let. Rural areas. That is interesting. | thank you very much. To let you know, we may well will hearing from President Putin shortly, we are monitoring those lines coming out from moscow, we will cross there as and when he he appear, as you would expect the ukrainian president has also been responded to those exit poll figures. Saying that Vladimir Putin was power hungry and wanted to � rule forever�. In his nightly video address, mr zelensky said that russias president ial election was an illegitimate imitation. Our Eastern Europe correspondent, sarah rainsford, whos in kyiv says most ukrainians will find predictions of a Landslide Win for mr putin, comical. I think people here willjust laugh at that, frankly. They will also say it underlines a difference these days between russia and ukraine which is a democracy versus a dictatorship. But of course, for ukraine this does have significance, even though people will be shrugging off the result to some extent. I think this does mean at least six more years of Vladimir Putin in the kremlin and that does mean more war in ukraine, more missiles, more drones, more violence from russia towards this country. So it is important. I think it has also been important in another way, in the sense that, of course, much of eastern and southern ukraine, or parts of eastern and southern ukraine, are occupied by Russian Forces and the election has been taking place in those territories. And russia wants that election, those people in that part of ukraine to show their support for Vladimir Putin. They want a big display, kind of display of support for russia, for putin, for the annexation which russia has announced in those regions. Obviously thats the official picture. I think the true picture is completely different because we have been speaking to activists on the ground who said turnout in actual fact has been very low and that people are under extreme pressure to take part. But they have been resisting. They have been hiding their passports, even destroying their passports so that they dont have to vote for a president of a country they never wanted to be a part of. Lets speak to james nixey, the Russia Eurasia Programme lead at chatham house. Hello there to you james, welcome to the programme, so, high 80s, the figures at the exit polls are reporting back. What are you making of that . I reporting back. What are you making of that . ~ reporting back. What are you making of that . , ~. , of that . I make of it it is irrelevant of that . I make of it it is irrelevant because of that . I make of it it is irrelevant because the l of that . I make of it it is irrelevant because the figures are what the kremlin wants because it has decided well before the vote, those are the figures that are appropriate to somebody of putins supposed stature, this is not an election as you and i understand it, its a reanoint. And election implies somebody is to be elected by means of choice and they didnt have one. Did means of choice and they didnt have one. ,. ,. ,. , means of choice and they didnt have one well. I one. Did he have to do this . Well, its a good one. Did he have to do this . Well, its a good question, one. Did he have to do this . Well, its a good question, why one. Did he have to do this . Well, its a good question, why should i its a good question, why should such an obvious authoritarian power . It would be a difficult move to stop them, but its a referendum on the war, its a show of support for the war, its a show of support for the war, and even if it is faked, then that still is important to putin because this is the first wartime election they have had and it is important to show that this is still a popular war. That may not necessarily be true, we know from say, when there have been conscriptions for people to turn up to fight for ukraine, they were unpopular but the Polling Stations were burned down, so it is a somewhat desperate measure but it probably will work, because always has done. I probably will work, because always has done. , � ~. , probably will work, because always hasdone. ~. ,. , has done. I dont know if you are able to fill has done. I dont know if you are able to fill in has done. I dont know if you are able to fill in the has done. I dont know if you are able to fill in the gaps has done. I dont know if you are able to fill in the gaps for has done. I dont know if you are able to fill in the gaps for us, able to fill in the gaps for us, what is the feeling and the support for russians, for continuing this war, because conscriptions may well now start to rise, he is going to need more boots on the ground isnt he . He need more boots on the ground isnt he . �. Need more boots on the ground isnt he . , � ,. , need more boots on the ground isnt he . , he . He is, its a very good question. He . He is, its a very good question, while he . He is, its a very good question, while and he . He is, its a very good question, while and it he . He is, its a very good question, while and it is l he . He is, its a very good i question, while and it is also he . He is, its a very good question, while and it is also a subtle question because it is easy to say the war should finish but it depends on what term, everyone one of the other election candidates, he was against the war but only if there was a surrender on russias terms so it takes a lot of digging into and we cant trust the polling into and we cant trust the polling in russia these days when its a question of that much subtlety. Very roughly speaking maybe 15 20 of people are genuinely against the war and wish it to stop and want ukraine to be a better country, another 20 at the other end are nationalistically inclined to take ukraine and go further and there is a soft middle, round 60 , and they are somewhat apathetic, prisoner of their own consciences and those of the, that is the second population the, that is the second population the kremlin needs to reach and will reach one way or another. Band the kremlin needs to reach and will reach one way or another. And Alexei Navaln , reach one way or another. And Alexei Navalny, continuing reach one way or another. And Alexei Navalny, continuing to reach one way or another. And Alexei Navalny, continuing to be reach one way or another. And Alexei Navalny, continuing to be a reach one way or another. And Alexei Navalny, continuing to be a thorn reach one way or another. And Alexei Navalny, continuing to be a thorn in l navalny, continuing to be a thorn in the side of President Putin. These protest, and you know, coming out at midday, navalny for midday, would that have done anything apart from irritate him . Irritate him . Well, i think irritation, irritate him . Well, i think irritation, this irritate him . Well, i think irritation, this is irritate him . Well, i think irritation, this is a irritate him . Well, i think. Irritation, this is a sensitive creme, so that is certainly true. Navalny has a reach from beyond the grave. People will remember him for a long time, longer than this farcical election. But they have an uphill struggle. They need to reinvent itself to work out how and to whom it can make a difference, thatis to whom it can make a difference, that is not easy. 50 to whom it can make a difference, that is not easy. To whom it can make a difference, that is not easy. So many nuances, james that is not easy. So many nuances, james thank that is not easy. So many nuances, james thank you that is not easy. So many nuances, james thank you so that is not easy. So many nuances, james thank you so much that is not easy. So many nuances, james thank you so much for that is not easy. So many nuances, james thank you so much for that. L james thank you so much for that. James thank you so much for that. James nixey. Now some of the days other news and to the middle east. The german chancellor, olaf scholz has said his country Cannot Stand By and watch palestinians Risk Starvation in gaza, and called for a longer lasting ceasefire. Gazas Hamas Run Health Ministry says 61 palestinians were killed overnight, including 12 members of the same family whose house in Deir El Balah was hit. Medical sources most of the victims were women and children. This girl has been speaking about her cousin who was killed. Speaking after talks with Benjamin Netanyahu injerusalem, mr scholz said he had shared his concerns with the israeli Prime Minister over what he called the � terribly high costs of the war in gaza. Translation honestly what do they want from us . Translation honest