In a post on his Telegram channel, the anti-war candidate said, “It will be very difficult for the CEC and the current authorities to say, ‘I didn’t even notice the elephant!’” Nadezhdin wrote.  

His long-shot presidential bid comes at a time when most Russian opposition figures are jailed or exiled. Nadezhdin’s anti-war stance has, however, nudged many Russians into backing his campaign as the Kremlin continues to wage full-scale war on Ukraine.

Long lines of people willing to support the Putin critic have formed at his campaign offices across Russia. Speaking to POLITICO, Nadezhdin attributed his success to a “number of miracles” — including his volunteers’ activities and support from influential Russian opposition figures in exile. 

The CEC will review the signatures submitted by hopeful candidates within 10 days. Alexander Kynev, a Moscow-based independent political analyst, told POLITICO he thought it was unlikely that Nadezhdin would be allowed to stand for election, as that’s too big a risk for the Kremlin. 

Presidential campaigns in Russia are known for the participation of so-called spoiler candidates whom Putin can easily knock down. This time, however, appears different as the spoilers drop out of the race one by one even before it starts.

Andrei Bogdanov, a veteran spin doctor, submitted his papers on Wednesday — but then immediately announced he wouldn’t run. Bogdanov, who previously ran for president in 2008 and gained 1.3 percent of the vote, cited an undisclosed foreign bank account as the reason for his withdrawal. Formally, this mistake bars him from the being on the ballot.