Russia begins voting in first parliamentary election since Ukraine invasion

WorldPolitics
18 Sep 2026 • 4:43 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Russia begins voting in first parliamentary election since Ukraine invasion

  • Russians have begun voting in a three-day parliamentary election, the first since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
  • President Vladimir Putin urged voters to demonstrate support for Russian soldiers, as the ruling United Russia party looks set to retain control of the State Duma.
  • Dissent has been effectively suppressed after Russia's Supreme Court removed the anti-war Yabloko party from the main ballot and other critics were jailed or exiled.
  • Voting is taking place in Crimea and four illegally annexed Ukrainian regions, despite ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks causing fuel shortages and economic strain.
  • Authorities in Kyiv have denounced the vote in Russian-occupied territories as illegal and urged international organisations not to recognise the results.
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