This year, it will be a lot harder for Russian citizens living in Ukraine to vote in the Duma elections

For Russian citizens living in Ukraine, participating in next month's parliamentary elections won't be as easy as it was five year ago, when there were 17 voting stations scattered across the country. This year, citing concerns about safety, Russia is only making four voting stations available to citizens. (In 2011, roughly 23,000 Russians voted in Ukraine.)

According to Russia’s Central Elections Commission, officials have received information that right-wing Ukrainian activists are planning various “provocations” against Russian voting stations. As a result of the security threat, the only voting stations in Ukraine will be in Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, and Lviv. 

Ukrainian officials have promised to guarantee Russian voters' safety, but Kiev has refused to take any additional security measures.

Russia will not operate any voting stations in the rebel-controlled Donbass.