Russian court upholds ruling barring anti-war candidate from vote

Anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin, who has been barred from contesting in the Russian presidential elections, had called the decision to invade Ukraine a 'fatal mistake'.

Russia's Supreme Court has upheld a ruling barring opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin from running in this month's presidential election, Nadezhdin said on Monday.

Nadezhdin was barred from standing when the Central Election Commission said it had found irregularities, including names of dead people, in the list of supporters' signatures he had presented in support of his candidacy. Nadezhdin had earlier called the decision to invade Ukraine a "fatal mistake".

Since anti-war candidate Nadezhdin will no longer be contesting, there is little doubt about Putin's reelection in March. Putin's expected victory in the March 15-17 presidential election would secure him a fifth term. This will make him one of the longest-serving and most consequential presidents in Russian history.