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The ruling United Russia party, which has close ties to President Vladimir Putin, has secured a decisive victory in Russia’s parliamentary election. After more than 95% of ballots were counted, the party was reported to have received 57.83% of the vote.
The figure is higher than United Russia’s 49.8% result in the 2021 election. According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, the result gives the party 355 seats in the 450-member State Duma. The ruling party is therefore expected to retain its constitutional majority.
Results for other parties
According to preliminary results, the Communist Party received 14% of the vote, while the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party secured 8.7%. The smaller New People and A Just Russia parties, both known for their loyalty to the Kremlin, are also expected to win seats in parliament.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the results confirmed that voters had entrusted the ruling party with continuing to govern the country.
Vote seen as a test of support for the war in Ukraine
This was Russia’s first parliamentary election since it launched a full-scale military operation against Ukraine in February 2022. Vladimir Putin presented the vote as an indicator of public support for the war.
No party opposing the war was allowed to take part in the election. Several weeks before the vote, Russia’s Supreme Court removed the Yabloko party, known for its anti-war stance, from the ballot.
The election was held over the weekend amid large-scale drone attacks carried out by Ukraine. Three people were killed in Moscow region and two others, including an election official, died in Kherson region, which is under Russian control, as a result of the attacks.
Russian officials say attacks did not affect voting
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the attacks as the largest so far. He said they were intended to disrupt the election but had failed to do so.
Ella Pamfilova, chairwoman of Russia’s Central Election Commission, also said the attacks had not deterred voters. According to a statement carried by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency, Pamfilova said the increase in pressure had strengthened the level of unity in society.
Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Kyiv of attempting to undermine the “democratic will” of Russian citizens and announced that it would intensify its strikes. Election authorities also reported cyberattacks on electronic voting systems during the three-day voting period, but said the overall process had proceeded without major problems.
Ukraine said it had suspended elections on its territory because of martial law and did not consider the vote held in Russia legitimate.
Kadyrov receives 99.85% of vote in Chechnya
Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Vladimir Putin, has been re-elected as head of the Chechen region for a fifth term. According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, Kadyrov received 99.85% of the vote in the region. He won 99.73% in 2021.
International observers have sharply criticized the conduct of elections in Chechnya in previous years. Kadyrov views such criticism as Western attempts to weaken his rule. He regularly emphasizes his personal loyalty to Putin and supports the activities of Chechen forces that he says have been fighting in Ukraine since 2022.
