Russians crowd polling stations in apparent Putin protest

Voters queue at a polling station at noon local time in Moscow, Russia (AP)

Russians crowded outside polling stations at noon on Sunday, apparently heeding an opposition call to protest against President Vladimir Putin as he stands poised to extend his rule of nearly a quarter of a century for six more years after a relentless crackdown on dissent.

The three-day election that began on Friday has taken place in a tightly controlled environment where there are no real alternatives to Mr Putin, no public criticism of him or his war in Ukraine.