Story perspectives

United Russia Wins 355 of 450 Seats, Projections Show

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 6:13 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Russia held a three-day parliamentary election for the State Duma on September 18-20, 2026.
Preliminary counts gave United Russia about 58% of the party-list vote and a projected 355 of 450 seats.
Voting took place in Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea, which Ukraine and EU denounced as illegal.
The Yabloko party was barred from the party-list ballot and could run only a few single-constituency candidates.

History

Historical Context

In March 2014, Russia staged a contested referendum that annexed Crimea, securing a 96% vote amid international condemnation. The Kremlin, led by President Vladimir Putin, claimed the 2.3 million-person turnout validated the move, while the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow. Today’s September 2026 State Duma election repeats that pattern, extending voting to occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea, with United Russia projected at 58% and Yabloko barred. The precedent of 2014 demonstrates how electoral legitimization in annexed territories fuels prolonged geopolitical tension and invites further sanctions from Ukraine and Western allies.

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Story summary

Russia held a three-day parliamentary election for the State Duma on September 18-20, 2026.
Preliminary counts gave United Russia about 58% of the party-list vote and a projected 355 of 450 seats.
Voting took place in Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea, which Ukraine and EU denounced as illegal.
The Yabloko party was barred from the party-list ballot and could run only a few single-constituency candidates.

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