Russia on Sunday wrapped up its first parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party widely expected to retain its overwhelming control of the State Duma.The three-day vote was held amid a crackdown on political dissent, with major anti-war opposition figures imprisoned, exiled or barred from the ballot. Turnout stood at 56.66 per cent when polls closed, according to Russia’s Central Election Commission.About 111 million voters were eligible to cast ballots for the 450-seat lower house. Half the seats are contested through party lists and the rest through single-seat constituencies.The election also included voting in four Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia after the war began, as well as Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014. Ukraine condemned the voting in Russian-held territories and urged other countries not to recognise the results. The European Union called it a “blatant violation of international law.”The liberal Yabloko party, the only registered political entity that openly criticised the war, was removed from the ballot by Russia’s Supreme Court last month, although some of its candidates remained in constituency races.Yabloko and the Communist Party also reported that some of their observers were turned away from polling stations and alleged other violations, including ballot boxes being opened after being sealed and voters being denied paper ballots. The claims could not be independently verified.Russia did not invite observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons said the decision breached Russia’s commitments as a member of the organisation.Electronic voting in Moscow also came under scrutiny. Election chief Ella Pamfilova said the system had been targeted by cyberattacks. Independent outlet SotaVision reported glitches in electronic registration systems, while Kremlin critic Leonid Volkov urged voters: “Demand a paper ballot!”The election’s final day coincided with a major wave of Ukrainian drone attacks. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces shot down 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia, Crimea and the Black Sea. Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said two people were killed and 20 wounded.Preliminary election results were expected within hours of voting ending in western Russia.
