Vladimir Putin has undermined Russian democracy to the point that his country’s election results usually don’t mean much. But when opposition candidates win with the deck stacked against them, as they did in two Siberian cities over the weekend, it’s worth noting. About a third of Russian voters were eligible to cast a ballot in regional and municipal elections ending Sunday. Mr. Putin’s popularity has declined in recent years, and his United Russia party is seen less favorably. Forecasters anticipated relatively close races...

Source: Wall Street Journal September 14, 2020 19:26 UTC