Full Breakdown
Putin’s Wartime Duma Election: A Vote for War Legitimacy
By Drooid · · How we work
The Election in Focus
Russia began a three-day vote on September 18–20 to fill all 450 State Duma seats, including electronic voting in 33 regions. Voters in the Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea cast ballots for the first time since the 2022 invasion. Only parties that back President Vladimir Putin’s policies are on the list; the liberal anti-war Yabloko party was removed from the party-list contest and now fields a handful of candidates in single-member districts. United Russia, which currently holds roughly two-thirds of the Duma, is expected to retain its super-majority.
Background & Context
This is the first parliamentary poll since Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine began. The conflict has produced “hundreds of thousands” of military casualties and has brought Ukrainian drone strikes to Russian oil refineries, logistics hubs and major online retailers. The war-driven economy has slipped into stagnation, prompting tax hikes and a widening budget deficit. Since the invasion, the Kremlin has tightened censorship, criminalised “discrediting” the armed forces and expelled independent election monitors.
Data & Statistics
- Electorate: about 111 million eligible voters.
- Seats: 450 Duma seats; half by nationwide party lists, half by single-member constituencies.
- Parties on the ballot: United Russia, the Communist Party, LDPR, A Just Russia, New People and a few “systemic opposition” parties.
- War-veteran candidates: 186 veterans standing as Duma candidates; over 1,500 former servicemen contesting regional and municipal posts.
- Electronic voting: offered to boost turnout and to facilitate monitoring in remote and occupied territories.
Official Statements & Responses
President Putin framed the vote as a “collective contribution to Russia’s victory” and urged citizens to demonstrate unity behind the troops. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Ukrainian drones launched 350 attacks on the Moscow region overnight, most of which were intercepted. Political analyst Andrei Kolesnikov described the election as a “rigid, personalistic regime” where the outcome does not affect policy.
Criticism & Opposition
Former Yabloko deputy Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to more than 11 years for criticizing the war, illustrating the criminal risk of dissent. Jaroslava Barbieri of Chatham House called the process “a total regime of terror” and highlighted the use of armed soldiers to escort ballot boxes as a violation of international law.
On-the-Ground Reports
Rail worker Sergei Korenets told AFP he will back United Russia for “stability,” yet added, “Of course, I want all this (the war) to end as quickly as possible.”
Why It Matters / Impact
The election provides the Kremlin with a veneer of popular legitimacy for the war and a barometer of public fatigue. Analysts note that a lower turnout or a reduced margin for United Russia could signal growing war weariness, while the Kremlin may use any victory to justify further military measures, including a possible new mobilisation. Internationally, the vote is widely dismissed as illegitimate because it includes occupied Ukrainian territories and lacks independent observation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Your choice and your will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our troops,” — Vladimir Putin
- “Of course, I want all this (the war) to end as quickly as possible.” — Sergei Korenets