Russia has concluded its first parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, with the ruling United Russia party widely expected to retain its dominant position in the State Duma.
The three-day election ended Sunday amid a tightly controlled political environment, with most candidates opposing the Kremlin’s war policy excluded from the ballot. The Kremlin has presented the vote as a demonstration of national unity and public support for President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The State Duma has 450 seats, with half contested through party-list voting and the other half through single-member constituencies. Preliminary results were expected to begin emerging after polls closed, with more complete results due later.
The election took place against the backdrop of continued fighting and growing economic pressure linked to the war. On the final voting day, Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones toward Russia, including hundreds aimed at Moscow, according to Russian authorities. The attacks caused deaths and injuries and damaged infrastructure, including an oil refinery in the capital.
Russia’s political opposition has faced significant restrictions ahead of the election. The liberal Yabloko party, one of the few registered political groups openly critical of the war, was removed from the national party-list ballot by Russia’s Supreme Court. Several anti-war politicians have also been imprisoned or forced into exile.
Election observers and opposition parties reported alleged irregularities, including observers being denied access to polling stations and problems with electronic voting in Moscow. The claims could not all be independently verified. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was also not invited to monitor the election.
Voting also took place in Crimea and four Ukrainian regions occupied and claimed by Russia, a move condemned by Ukraine and the European Union as unlawful under international law.
Although the election is expected to preserve the Kremlin’s parliamentary dominance, analysts say voter turnout and support for permitted opposition parties could provide some indication of public sentiment toward the war and its economic consequences.
The election therefore serves both as a parliamentary exercise and as a political test for the Kremlin as Russia continues to face military, economic and international pressure over the war in Ukraine.
Swifteradio.com
