Russian authorities have begun preparations for holding presidential elections, including in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports.

"In November 2023, a closed meeting was held in the Kremlin with the leaders of Russian regions and the occupation leaders of Moscow in the temporarily enslaved territories of Ukraine. The meeting was chaired by the deputy head of the administration of Russian dictator Putin, S. Kiriyenko," a message states on the Telegram channel.

According to intelligence information, Kiriyenko announced the directives as part of intensifying preparations for the so-called electoral process.

"During the meeting, it was ordered: to allocate social assistance to voters from local budgets; to intensify propaganda about the supposedly 'positive' trends in the Russian economy, the 'stability' of the ruble and the 'improvement' of people's living standards," the message says.

The leaders of the Russian occupation administrations also received the task of bringing the level of compulsory passportization in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to no less than 85%.