Nadezhdin, a 60-year-old veteran politician with a background in physics_, promises to end Putin’s “fatal mistake” in Ukraine, halt mobilization and free political prisoners, including Alexei Navalny. He also pledges to reverse anti-LGBTQ+ and military censorship laws.

He is now required to submit 100,000 signatures, which must be spread over at least 40 regions, to Russia’s Central Elections Committee by the end of January. 

Speaking to POLITICO on Thursday by phone, Nadezhdin attributed his success so far to a “number of miracles” and “astonishing things.”

The first was that he managed to get the liberal Civic Initiative party to back him, reducing the number of administrative hurdles he was facing.

The second, that thousands of people started donating money and signing up as volunteers.

The third occurred in early January when a number of influential Russian opposition figures, most of whom live in exile, spoke out in support of his long-shot bid.