Story perspectives

Putin’s Russia election returns after 2022 invasion

By Drooid · Sep 19, 2026, 10:12 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Russia held a parliamentary election from 18 to 20 September 2026, its first since the 2022 invasion.
United Russia is expected to retain its supermajority.
Yabloko was removed from the ballot and its members sentenced to prison.
President Vladimir Putin urged voters, saying the vote would show millions backing Russian soldiers.
The ballot includes residents of Crimea and four Ukrainian regions annexed after 2022, which Ukraine calls illegal.

History

Historical Context

In March 2014, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia to annex Crimea, a move that sparked international sanctions and reshaped its domestic politics. During the 2016 State Duma election, United Russia captured 54% of the 450 seats, while opposition party Yabloko fell below the 5% threshold, receiving only 2.5% of the vote. The 2026 parliamentary vote repeats this pattern, featuring United Russia’s expected supermajority, the exclusion of Yabloko, and ballots extending to Crimea and the four Ukrainian regions seized after the 2022 invasion. These continuities suggest entrenched authoritarian control, foretelling further marginalization of dissent and deeper diplomatic isolation for Moscow.

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Story summary

Russia held a parliamentary election from 18 to 20 September 2026, its first since the 2022 invasion.
United Russia is expected to retain its supermajority.
Yabloko was removed from the ballot and its members sentenced to prison.
President Vladimir Putin urged voters, saying the vote would show millions backing Russian soldiers.
The ballot includes residents of Crimea and four Ukrainian regions annexed after 2022, which Ukraine calls illegal.

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