Some of those who turned out said taking part was still important, despite the lack of any real democratic choice and with one major liberal party banned in Russia from running.

"I don't trust the results, but I feel it is important not to lose the habit," said Anna, who voted. "I believe in some kind of better future. I don't want to think that I don't matter and that there is no point in voting. I want to keep that habit," she told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

"Let's put it this way: I knew exactly which parties I did not want to vote for, and I based my decision on that," said another voter, Nina. "Since I don't like the direction the country is currently heading in and it is causing difficulties for me personally, I did not vote for United Russia."

Of the alternatives on the ballot, the Communists were seen as an option by some voters in Tallinn.

Russian speakers and others were far from unified on the topic. A small protest was held opposite the embassy, whose participants called the elections illegal.

"While we were protesting here, several pensioners, Russian citizens, came up to us and said that we are fascists, that we are traitors, that Ukrainians are fascists too," said protester Daniil. "It is really interesting to see how many strongly pro-Russian people there still are in Estonia."

Yabloko, the only registered party openly critical of the war, was removed from the ballot by Russia's Supreme Court last month. Observers were turned away at polling stations, and Russia did not invite the OSCE, Europe's main election-monitoring body.

A total of 333 polling stations opened in 152 countries worldwide Sunday; in Tallinn, the embassy was the venue and Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) personnel were on hand to verify and document voter IDs.

"The checks are very strict. You know, of course we all understand the situation, but it is unpleasant. Unpleasant," said one Russian voter.

There were few surprises in the three-day elections, according to early indications, which showed Vladimir Putin's party, United Russia, virtually devoid of opposition. The voter franchise was around 111 million people, with results including those from the four occupied easternmost oblasts of Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea.

While not a presidential election, the vote to the Duma — the Russian legislature — is widely seen as part of Putin's tightening grip on power at a time when the war in Ukraine is not going well for him.

Voting continued at some embassies and consulates in time zones further west, including in the US.

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