Police in several districts of the Tambov region are reportedly contacting election observers from the Yabloko party, arranging meetings, and issuing official warnings against unlawful actions during the voting days, according to human rights defender Vladimir Zhilkin. Zhilkin stated that security forces admitted to possessing a list of observers submitted by Yabloko candidate Yana Zenkina to the election commission.

Zhilkin described the transfer of the observer list to the police as illegal, potentially violating privacy and exceeding official authority. He characterized the situation as systemic, occurring simultaneously in different areas of the Tambov region. A warning notice, dated September 16, was published by Zhilkin, detailing potential criminal liability for violations during the September 18-20 voting period, including illegal campaigning and disrupting election commission work.