As Armenians head to polls, Russia and West vie for influence in the South Caucasus (opens in new tab)

From a gated hilltop mansion on the outskirts of Yerevan, Russian-Armenian billionaire-turned-opposition figure Samvel Karapetyan is carefully coordinating his path to power. An energy sector magnate who made his fortune in Russia, Karapetyan has been under house arrest since January. From behind his high iron gates, he and his pro-Russian Strong Armenia party have emerged as the most prominent force among Armenia's bloc of scattered opposition parties. In Sunday's election, that opposition is