Russian presidential election: The dashed hopes of Russian exiles in France

05:24

Exiled Russians who have fled to France since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine have few illusions about the outcome of Russia's presidential election. Voting began this Friday, with the main aim being to ensure a high turnout, rather than deciding on Vladimir Putin's re-election, which is a certainty. The vote is overshadowed by last month's death in prison of Putin's main opponent Alexei Navalny – widely denounced as a political assassination by the Russian opposition. Navalny's death also brought much shock and sadness to Russians exiled in France, with many of them taking part in protests. FRANCE 24's Elena Volochine reports.