Russia held parliamentary elections that included residents of Ukrainian regions annexed by Moscow since its invasion began nearly four-and-a-half years ago. The vote, which took place from September 18 to September 20, 2026, with early voting in annexed territories starting at the end of August, aimed to legitimize Russian control over these areas despite international non-recognition. Putin emphasized the importance of voting for the State Duma in newly annexed regions, while Ukrainian officials denounced the election as illegal and urged citizens not to participate due to potential criminal liabilities.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Russian parliamentary elections, held from September 18-20, were widely expected to see United Russia, President Vladimir Putin's party, maintain its dominance over the State Duma (lower house of parliament). Despite critics arguing that the outcome was predetermined and would have no significant impact on the country’s future, Russian authorities made persistent efforts to ensure high voter participation under current electoral law. The elections came amidst increasing war fatigue and economic hardship due to Ukraine's drone strikes targeting oil refineries and warehouses within Russia, causing fuel shortages and internet blackouts.
Exit polls conducted by independent groups at embassies and consulates abroad revealed starkly different results from those inside Russia: New People, an opposition party, garnered around 45% of the votes compared to United Russia’s reported near-58% support domestically. These discrepancies highlight a divergence between domestic and international perceptions of Putin's popularity, with many Russian expatriates opposing the war and expressing anxiety over its economic and social consequences.
Critics argue that these elections are more about demonstrating the regime's resilience than reflecting genuine public sentiment or political contestation, given the tight control exercised by the Kremlin.
Written for “Russia's Wartime Elections” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 64 other(s) covering the same event.
Russia's parliamentary election for the first time includes residents of regions that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine after the start of its full-scale invasion more than four-and-a half years ago, part of Kremlin efforts to cement its gains.
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Moscow → include → gains
Officials in Kyiv vigorously denounced the action as illegal, and a human rights activist described residents there as being coerced to participate in the election.
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activist → denounce → election
While the vote across Russia started on Friday (September 18, 2026) and lasts until Sunday (September 20, 2026) to help boost turnout, balloting actually has been underway in the annexed parts of Ukraine and some areas on the Russian side of the border since the end of last month.
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balloting → start → month
Officials cited security reasons for the extended period.
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Officials → cite → period
Russian authorities say the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia territories, often referred to by Moscow officials as the “new regions,” have over 3.5 million voters.
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territories → say → voters
They were annexed by Russia in September 2022, despite not fully being under Moscow's control.
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They → annex → control
The move has not been recognised internationally.
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move → recognise → ?
At one polling station in the Russian-held part of the Donetsk region, voters dropped their ballots in a box as an armed Russian soldier stood nearby and watched.
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soldier → hold → box
Putin stress the importance of voting in the regions
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Putin → stress → regions
In a speech on Wednesday (September 16, 2026), Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasised the importance of balloting in those regions for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
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Putin → emphasise → parliament
Residents there will be voting for the Duma “for the first time since their reunification with Russia”.
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Residents → vote → Russia
He noted that Russian soldiers involved in the fighting also will vote.
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soldiers → note → fighting
Voting also is taking place in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
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that → take → 2014
The first wartime election to the State Duma is intended to secure the Kremlin's political dominance and showcase public support for the war.
“Your choice and resolve will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our fighters, that we are a united people, bound by shared values, historical memory, and love for the Motherland and that nobody can divide or intimidate us, undermine our statehood and political system,” Mr. Putin said.
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Putin → intend → statehood
Ukraine urges other countries not to recognise the vote
Authorities in Kyiv called the voting in those territories illegal and urged foreign governments and international organisations not to recognise the election.
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Authorities → urge → election
They warned Ukrainians that taking part in organising the vote could carry criminal liability.
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taking → warn → liability
A coalition of nine Ukrainian human rights groups called on residents of the Russia-held territories to stay away from the polls.
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coalition → call → polls
“We urge residents of the temporarily occupied territories, above all, to protect their lives and health and to look after their own safety,” the coalition said in a statement.
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coalition → urge → statement
“Holding Russian elections in the temporarily occupied territories is an attempt to use the electoral process to legitimise the Russian occupation and the attempted annexation of Ukrainian territories.”
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Holding → hold → territories
European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said the voting in Russian-held regions represented "another blatant violation of international law.
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voting → say → law
The European Union does not, and will never recognise either the holding of these, so-called elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or their results”.
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Union → do → Ukraine
Activists describe coercion to vote
Violeta Artemchuk, coordinator of the Donbas SOS human rights group who was among those who signed the statement, said members of local election commissions were going house to house, escorted by Russian troops and security agents, to force people to vote.
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members → describe → people
Moscow-appointed authorities exert pressure on residents, threatening those who work in the public sector with dismissal if they fail to vote and making pensions and other social payments conditional on participating, Ms. Artemchuk said.
“For instance, if a person with a disability or a pensioner relies on social assistance and does not take part in the voting, they could be added to a list of ‘individuals deemed disloyal' to the so-called authorities and subsequently deprived of their benefits or humanitarian assistance,” she said.
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she → appoint → benefits
Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst with the Kyiv-based Penta Centre, emphasised that "elections held at gunpoint are a farce”.
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elections → base → gunpoint
“The very fact that voting takes place amid endless shelling and bombing reflects the Kremlin's attitude toward the people and the electoral process in the occupied territories," Mr. Fesenko told The Associated Press.
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Fesenko → take → Press
Any electoral procedures conducted by the Russian occupation authorities have nothing to do with democracy,” he said.
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he → conduct → democracy
The Aporia
