Putin casts parliamentary election as barometer of support for war, urges Russians to vote
The Kremlin has barred the only anti-war party and jailed or exiled critics as it seeks a veneer of legitimacy for its wartime rule.
- On Friday, September 18, 2026, Russia launched a three-day parliamentary election to renew all 450 seats in the State Duma, marking the first nationwide vote since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- President Vladimir Putin framed the election as a test of national unity, while authorities tightened control by barring anti-war candidates and removing the liberal Yabloko party from the ballot.
- With meaningful opposition excluded, the ballot features United Russia and 'systemic opposition' parties supporting government policies; authorities also jailed Yabloko's deputy chairman Lev Shlosberg and Maxim Kruglov for anti-war statements.
- Analysts expect United Russia to maintain overwhelming control of the State Duma, as the Kremlin views the election as a tool to mobilize public support for the war and legitimize its policies.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly alleged the Kremlin plans post-election mobilization, a claim Putin has dismissed as 'nonsense' amid mounting war costs and public anxiety.
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490 Articles
Russian Parliamentary Election: Turnout Exceeds 56%, Early Trends Show Putin's 'United Russia' Ahead
Voting has concluded for the Russian parliamentary elections. Preliminary results show the ruling United Russia party leading with 57.54 percent of the vote. Exit polls also predict United Russia will receive the most votes, with the Communist Party and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia close behind in second and third place.
With about 14 percent of the votes counted, President Vladimir Putin's ruling party United Russia is comfortably in the lead in the Russian parliamentary elections with 57.5 percent of the vote. This was reported by the country's Central Election Commission, which reported a turnout of over 56 percent.
The election, marked by the absence of real opposition, confirms the domination of Russia united with the Duma in a context of prolonged conflict in Ukraine Vladimir Putin's party, Russia united, is
According to the Central Electoral Commission, the turnout at the polls during the three days of the vote was 56%, above the figure of 51.7% of the previous consultation in 2021. In any case, everything went as planned: according to a first exit poll released by Russian state television, the United Russia Party [...] The article Putin wins the elections for the renewal of the Duma: to the United Russia party over 49% of the votes comes from Il F…
In Russia, the three-day parliamentary election ended on Sunday. According to official information, the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's party has won, which has been in power for 20 years. Vziom's opinion research institute stated that united Russia comes to 49.4 percent of the votes.
Taken for granted, Vladimir Putin gets the majority with his United Russia party. But Zelensky ruins his party with a rain of drones
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