Full Breakdown
Kremlin Secures Parliamentary Victory in First Wartime Election
By Drooid · · How we work
Election Overview
Russia held a three-day parliamentary vote from September 18-20 across all 11 time zones, Russian-held territories in Ukraine and diplomatic missions abroad. The Central Election Commission reported a turnout of 56.66 percent. Preliminary data show United Russia on track for about 57 percent of the party-list vote, preserving its dominant hold on the 450-seat State Duma.
Background & Context
This is the first Duma election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Ukrainian drone strikes have hit Russian oil refineries, logistics hubs and online-retailer warehouses, deepening an economic slowdown and public unease. The Kremlin frames the election as a “show of unity” behind the war effort.
Data & Statistics
- Turnout: 56.66 percent (CEC).
- United Russia: 57.54 percent (preliminary).
- Drone interceptions: 1,110 Ukrainian drones shot down across Russia and annexed Crimea (Defense Ministry).
- Casualties in the Moscow region: 2 dead, 20 injured (Governor Andrei Vorobyov).
- Cyber-attack record: 3,000 DDoS waves, 135 attacks on the remote voting system, 420 on Rostelecom and ?2,000 on e-government infrastructure (Ella Pamfilova).
Official Statements & Responses
“Your choice and determination will show once again that millions of people are backing our fighters and that we stand together, united by shared values, our historical memory, love for our Motherland,” — Vladimir Putin.
CEC chair Ella Pamfilova said glitches in Moscow’s electronic voting were caused by a “very large-scale and intense” cyberattack.
The Defense Ministry emphasized that its forces downed over 1,100 Ukrainian drones and that voting continued despite “enemy” strikes.
The European Union and OSCE called the voting in occupied Ukrainian regions “illegal” and a breach of international law.
Criticism & Opposition
The liberal Yabloko party, the only registered anti-war party, was removed from the party-list ballot by the Supreme Court and allowed only a few single-constituency candidates. Yabloko observers reported arrests, loss of consciousness, and denial of paper ballots.
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons labeled Russia’s refusal to invite OSCE observers a breach of its commitments.
Human-rights monitor OVD-Info notes more than 2,000 political prisoners, illustrating the broader climate of repression.
On-the-Ground Reports
At a polling station in the Russian-held part of Donetsk, voters placed ballots in a box while an armed Russian soldier stood nearby.
In Sochi a station was briefly closed after a drone threat; in Krasnodar a different venue was used after a drone shattered windows.
Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov cast a ballot marked “For freedom, For peace, Yabloko” in St. Petersburg.
Russians abroad voted at embassies in Yerevan and Berlin, with some joining anti-war demonstrations such as “Noon for a Peaceful Russia.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Electronic-voting reliability is contested: the commission attributes glitches to a cyberattack; independent outlet SotaVision and opposition figures claim the failures were deliberate to push voters toward electronic ballots.
Casualty numbers from Ukrainian drone attacks differ; Russian officials report 2 deaths and 20 injuries, whereas Ukrainian sources claim higher figures in separate strikes.
