Putin casts parliamentary election as barometer of support for war, urges Russians to vote
The Kremlin has removed the only registered anti-war party and expects United Russia to keep its grip on the 450-seat State Duma.
- 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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Russia State Duma Polls: Putin-backed United Russia Leads Parliamentary Polls with 57.5% Amid Ukrainian Strikes
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Russia's ruling United Russia party, which backs President Vladimir Putin, is leading the country's State Duma elections with 57.5 per cent of the vote, according to initial results, as the parliamentary polls were held against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine World News | Russia State Duma Polls: Putin-backed United Russia Leads Parliamentary Polls with 57.5% Amid Ukrainian Strikes.
Russia State Duma polls: Putin-backed United Russia leads parliamentary polls with 57.5% amid Ukrainian strikes - The Tribune
Russia's ruling United Russia party, which backs President Vladimir Putin, is leading the country's State Duma elections with 57.5 per cent of the vote, according to initial results, as the parliamentary polls were held against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine
With the absolute majority United Russia will have free hands to the Duma. The protest of oppositions fails. Massive attack of Kiev
The first parliamentary elections since the war in Ukraine have ended in Russia. They lasted three days, and a good third of the votes have been counted so far. The official results will be known in a few days, but it is already clear that Putin's United Russia has won. Voting took place from Friday to Sunday, including in territories occupied by Russian […] The post In Russia, Putin's United Russia shows a convincing victory first appeared on N…
The party affiliated with President Putin appears set to win the Russian parliamentary elections by a wide margin, as expected. This is evident from the first, preliminary results released by the authorities. United Russia is on course for a landslide victory with 57.5 percent of the vote. This was reported by the Central Election Commission with nearly 14 percent of the votes counted. In second place for now is the Communist Party of the Russi…
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