More than 110 million eligible voters cast ballots to elect 450 members of the State Duma, Russia’s lower house, in a two‑day voting round that began on Saturday and will conclude on Sunday.
United Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s party, currently controls over two‑thirds of the Duma and is expected to dominate the tightly controlled contest, as only parties that back the war are permitted to register and opposition groups are barred from participation.
The election is being framed by many observers as a de‑facto referendum on the continuation of Russia’s military campaign, now in its fifth year, even as public discontent grows over rising prices, internet crackdowns, fuel shortages and rumours of another mobilisation drive.
For the first time in a Russian parliamentary vote, authorities opened polling stations in the four annexed Ukrainian regions, claiming more than 3.5 million eligible voters there, despite the fact that Russia does not fully control any of the territories and the annexations are not recognised internationally.
Balloting in the occupied areas began in late August, earlier than in the rest of the country, with officials citing security concerns; footage from a Donetsk polling station showed voters casting ballots while an armed Russian soldier stood nearby.
Ukrainian officials condemned the voting as illegal, urging foreign governments and international organisations not to recognise the election or its results and warning that anyone helping to organise the vote could face criminal prosecution.
The outcome is expected to allow United Russia to continue supporting the war effort, but analysts note that the elections also expose the regime’s reliance on tightly managed political processes amid waning domestic support for the conflict.