Early results from Russia’s first parliamentary election since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine showed the main Kremlin party, United Russia, leading with nearly 58% of the vote. The vote took place across a wide range of regions including parts of Ukraine that Moscow annexed after the war began, though it still doesn’t fully control those areas. Authorities in Kyiv called the voting in these Russian-held territories illegal and urged foreign governments not to recognize the outcome.
Voters cast ballots for half of the 450 seats in the State Duma by choosing political parties, according to ABC News. The other 225 seats are decided through individual constituency races. The Central Election Commission reported that about 56.7% of eligible voters participated, a higher turnout than in the 2021 parliamentary election.
United Russia maintained a commanding lead in the lower house vote in a political environment where most candidates openly opposed to the war had been excluded. The liberal Yabloko party, which had publicly criticized the war, was removed from the party-list ballot by Russia’s Supreme Court last month. Some Yabloko candidates were still allowed to run in single-constituency races.
The Kremlin framed the election as a way to show public support for its military campaign in Ukraine. Despite Ukrainian drone attacks that targeted various regions including Moscow’s oil refinery, voters continued to cast their ballots. Russia’s Defense Ministry said 1,110 drones were intercepted across Russia and occupied territory during the major overnight attack.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said about 450 drones targeted the capital during what he described as an unprecedented attack. The strikes damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery and other sites. Russian officials reported several deaths and injuries.
Some voters reported issues such as not receiving polling cards or being registered for online voting without consent. The election was part of a wider round of voting across Russia that included regional and local races. Eight regions also held direct elections for regional leaders.
Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said the electronic voting system in Moscow had been targeted by cyberattacks. Russian authorities said the attacks were repelled and did not prevent voting.
Independent news outlets also reported glitches involving electronic voting and voter-registration systems.
Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe were not invited to monitor the vote, with Russia accusing the group of double standards. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly said the decision violated Russia’s commitments as a member of the organization.
Yabloko reported that one of its observers was arrested and lost consciousness during the election process. The party and other observers also reported violations including ballot boxes being opened and polling stations not secured overnight. Those allegations could not all be independently verified.
Russia’s opposition in exile encouraged people to vote at noon as a form of protest. The effort was called “Noon for Peaceful Russia” and urged voters who opposed the war to appear at polling stations at the same time. Exiled opposition figures also encouraged voters to support parties or candidates other than United Russia.
The Kremlin has portrayed the war in Ukraine as part of a broader confrontation with the West and has emphasized national unity during the conflict. The parliamentary election took place as the war entered its fifth year and economic pressures increased inside Russia.
Preliminary results showed United Russia with about 57% to 58% of the party-list vote as counting continued. The Communist Party was running second, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party and New People. Official final results were expected after the count was completed.
IMAGE: Ella Pamfilova, a Russian politician.. Photo: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office / Wikimedia, CC BY 4.0