The Independent
· collected 2026-09-19 · by Gergana Krasteva,Shweta Sharma and Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Russian authorities have reported attacks on voting systems and communication lines across the country on Saturday, on the second day of a parliamentary election.
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authorities → report → election
Authorities said today that the online voting system in Moscow had been subjected to a strong attack overnight, but said the situation was under control.
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situation → say → control
The attacks were continuing, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova was cited as saying by state media, but all were being successfully repelled.
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all → continue → media
Russia's digital ministry said it had registered a sabotage attempt on communication lines in the country's Far East, but that the attack had been thwarted and all communication had been restored, state media reported.
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media → say → East
The State Duma election, the first since Russia launched its full-scale war in February 2022, is widely expected to see the ruling pro-Putin United Russia party retain its dominance in Russia's tightly controlled political system.
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party → launch → system
It comes as Russian strikes on Ukraine killed five and injured 15 more, Ukrainian authorities said.
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authorities → come → 15
The Russian Armed Forces launched missile strikes, KAB aerial bombs, and various types of drones against Kharkiv and 14 other settlements in the region, according to Head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov.
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Forces → launch → Syniehubov
Russian election triggers row with Moldova over voting in separatist region
Russia's parliamentary election has triggered a diplomatic row with Moldova over its objections to the Kremlin's plan to open 15 polling stations for Russian nationals in the separatist Transdniestria Region.
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election → trigger → Region
Moscow says 220,000 residents of pro-Russian Transdniestria, a sliver of land which broke away from Moldova in 1990 at the end of Soviet rule, hold Russian passports and are entitled to vote on Sunday in the election for the State Duma.
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which → say → Duma
Transdniestria is not internationally recognised, not even by Moscow, though a Russian military contingent of some 1,500 troops, which Russia sometimes describes as peacekeepers, remains stationed there despite demands from Moldova for them to leave.
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them → recognise → Moldova
Moldova's pro-Western government, which wants to join the European Union by 2030 and denounces the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, says Russians may vote only in a single polling station in the Russian embassy in the capital Chisinau.
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Russians → want → capital
It contests the 220,000 figure and opposes any polling station in Transdniestria, where it has no control over procedures.
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it → contest → procedures
Investigation launched into death of Ukrainian activist found dead in the Algarve
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Investigation → launch → Algarve
An inquiry has been launched after a Ukrainian activist and critic of Putin’s Russia was found dead in Portugal.
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activist → launch → Portugal
The body of Ukrainian activist Pavlo Sadokha was discovered in Quarteira, a coastal town in the Algarve region, on Sunday.
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body → discover → Sunday
The 56-year-old was born in the Ukrainian city of Lviv and had lived in Portugal for more than two decades before his death.
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old → bear → death
In recent years, he had spoken out against Russian propaganda and Kremlin efforts to militarise young people.
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he → speak → people
Russia reports online attacks on electoral system on second day of parliamentary vote
Russian authorities reported multiple attacks on voting systems and communication lines across the country on Saturday during a parliamentary election running from September 18 to 20.
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authorities → report → 20
The online voting system in Moscow was subjected to a strong attack overnight during a parliamentary election, but the situation remains under control, the Interfax news agency cited the Central Election Commission's head as saying.
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agency → subject → head
The attacks were continuing, but all were being successfully repelled, Ella Pamfilova said, according to state media.
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Pamfilova → continue → media
Separately, Russia's digital ministry said it had registered a sabotage attempt on communication lines in the country's Far East, but that the attack had been thwarted and all communication had been restored, state media reported.
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media → say → East
Russians began voting on Friday in a three-day parliamentary election.
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Russians → begin → election
President Vladimir Putin earlier accused Ukraine of trying to interfere with the vote, without providing evidence.
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Putin → accuse → evidence
The result of the election is likely to be held up by the Kremlin as evidence of widespread public support for Putin's policies and, in particular, for his prosecution of Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two, now in its fifth year.
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result → hold → year
Five killed and 15 injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine
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15 → kill → Ukraine
Russian strikes on Ukraine killed five and injured 15 more, Ukrainian authorities said.
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authorities → kill → 15
The Russian Armed Forces launched missile strikes, KAB aerial bombs, and various types of drones against Kharkiv and 14 other settlements in the region, according to Head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov.
uncertain
Forces → launch → Syniehubov
Ukraine lashes out at Russian elections ‘held at gunpoint’ in occupied territory
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Ukraine → lash → territory
Ukrainians in territories occupied by Russia are being “held at gunpoint” and forced to vote in parliamentary elections that “bear no resemblance to democracy,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry has warned.
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ministry → occupy → democracy
For the next three days, 111 million people will head to the polls for Russia’s first parliamentary election since the since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 - and one that includes the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as well as the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
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that → head → Donetsk
“This is a farce orchestrated by the occupying state; it bears no resemblance to democratic elections and establishes no legal grounds for extending Russian jurisdiction to any part of Ukraine's territory,” a statement from the ministry said.
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statement → orchestrate → ministry
Poland concludes air operation with no airspace violations recorded
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Poland → conclude → violations
Poland has concluded the preventive military aviation operations that it started earlier on Saturday amid Russian strikes on Ukraine, the Polish army said in a post on X.
Ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance were returned to standard operational activities after the army activated them for a state of readiness, it added.
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it → conclude → readiness
There was no violation of Polish airspace, the army said.
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army → be → airspace
Russia unaware of possibility US might want to sign deals before Ukraine war ends, RIA reports
Russia is not aware of the possibility that Washington may want to sign deals with Moscow before the Ukraine conflict is over, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA state news agency on Saturday.
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Ryabkov → want → Saturday
The New York Times reported this week, citing two people close to the peace talks, that the White House is now considering signing business deals with Russia before it stops fighting in Ukraine.
"I don't know anything about such signals, and it would be strange to receive them, because we still hear exactly the opposite stance, namely, 'Let's agree on Ukraine and move forward, and everything else later,'" Ryabkov told RIA.
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Ryabkov → report → RIA
"Everything else, as they say, will be attached.
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they → say → ?
This also applies to economic aspects, economic projects, too.
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This → apply → aspects
"
Widespread sexual violence in Ukraine war, most cases tied to Russia, says UN report
Russian forces committed widespread sexual violence against civilians and prisoners of war in Ukraine, including gang rape and electric shocks to the genitals, while Ukrainian authorities were also responsible for a smaller number of violations, the UN human rights office said in a report on Friday.
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office → tie → Friday
The report documented 1,004 verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence between February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and July 2026.
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Russia → document → Ukraine
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
