Pro-Kremlin candidates win all 14 Russian governorships

MOSCOW (AP) — Preliminary results in Russia show that pro-Kremlin candidates have won all of the 14 regional governorships that were chosen in the first elections since Russia sent troops into Ukraine. Most of the winners ran as members of United Russia, the country’s dominant political party that is closely tied to President Vladimir Putin. Two ran as self-nominated but support United Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked by reporters Monday if the results constitute a show of support for Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, said “Absolutely.”