Alexei Navalny's allies claimed symbolic victories on Sunday (September 13) in two Siberian cities visited by the main Kremlin opponent during the campaign for the Russian regional elections, before his hospitalization for suspected poisoning.
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In Novosibirsk, the third city of the country, Mr. Navalny's team claimed the victory of Sergei Boyko, at the head of a coalition vying for the election of the city council, which challenged the Kremlin party with the support of the organization of the main Russian opponent.
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Sergei Boyko in Novosibirsk won it!
Mr. Navalny's spokesperson Kira Iarmych said on Twitter.
In Tomsk, another Siberian city, the opposition claimed two seats on the city council, including one for Ksenia Fadeeva, a 28-year-old candidate and director of the local campaign office of Alexei Navalny's organization.
A victory in Tomsk would be symbolic for the opposition because it is in this city that Mr. Navalny was poisoned, according to his allies.
The official results are not yet known in these two cities and are expected for Monday.
The Russians went to the polls on Sunday in 41 of the 85 regions, called to elect governors, regional or municipal assemblies and four deputies of the national parliament.
If Vladimir Putin's party is falling in popularity due to the difficult economic and social context, accusations of corruption and an unpopular pension reform, it should still win an overwhelming majority of seats at stake in the various polls.