Russian military personnel at the Hmeymim air base in Syria have already voted in the Russian presidential election, despite the fact that most of the country will make its choice on March 18. This happened because in the Arab Republic, the weekend holiday takes place on Friday, not on Sunday, as it does in Russia.
READ MORE: Russian Embassy in Damascus Opens Polling Place for 2018 Presidential Election
Eight candidates are running for the presidential post in Russia: Sergey Baburin from the All-People's Union party, Pavel Grudinin from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, incumbent President Vladimir Putin, Civil Initiative party candidate Ksenia Sobchak, Communists of Russia party Chairman Maxim Suraykin, Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs' Rights and businessman Boris Titov, co-founder of the Yabloko party Grigory Yavlinsky and head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
