Thousands of expats have gathered outside the Russian Embassy in central London on the last day of voting in the widely discredited Presidential elections, with the queue stretching an estimated half a mile along Lancaster Gate.
Some brought placards in support of Ukraine, some held signs critical of Vladimir Putin, while others simply stood silently in what was described as a “silent and stoic” atmosphere.
Express.co.uk reporter Christopher Sharp estimated the total number gathered to be ‘in the thousands’:
He added: “It’s a kind of a solemn atmosphere, it’s very quiet, very British really.
“When people greet each other, they hug but there was a sadness to that hug.
“It could be something to do with the fact that this election is rigged from the start, or simply the fact they are sad at the current state of their country.”
It was not possible to say with any degree of certainty whether all those queuing were opponents of the Russian government, Chris added.
He explained: “There may be some genuine Putin supporters amongst them.
“But really they are there because if they don’t turn up, then they will have given up hope.”
