Russian polls have closed for parliamentary elections held during wartime conditions since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The ruling United Russia party is expected to dominate, reflecting popular support for President Putin's policies as claimed by the Kremlin. Initial results indicate high turnout at 56.66%, with voting occurring across all Russian territories including illegally annexed parts of Ukraine and Crimea, despite opposition denouncing these votes as illegitimate.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-21,
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 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 64 other(s) covering the same event.
Polls have closed in Russia’s first wartime parliamentary elections, with the ruling United Russia party on course to win the tightly controlled vote.
asserted
party → close → vote
The Kremlin wants the elections, the first parliamentary vote since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, to showcase popular support for the war and legitimise its action.
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elections → want → action
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elections → make → difference
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Russian government officials accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt voting after Kyiv launched hundreds of drones at Moscow and other regions in what the TASS state news agency said was the biggest attack of its kind since the war began.
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war → accuse → kind
The drone strikes on Sunday killed at least three people in the Moscow region and two more in the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, including an election official, according to the region’s governor and the election commission.
uncertain
strikes → kill → governor
Russian authorities also reported attacks on the country’s electronic voting systems and communication lines during the polls, but said the electoral process was mostly smooth.
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process → report → polls
Initial results showed the United Russia party comfortably ahead, and Russia’s Central Election Commission said turnout at the close of polls stood at 56.66 percent.
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turnout → show → percent
The first official results and turnout are expected on Monday morning.
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results → expect → morning
Voting in Russian-held Ukrainian areas
The vote, which began on Friday for 111 million eligible voters, included residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed after the war began, but still doesn’t fully control, as well as those in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
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that → hold → 2014
Authorities in Kyiv denounced the voting in the Russian-held areas as illegal and urged foreign governments not to recognise the result.
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Authorities → denounce → result
The European Union on Friday called the action a “blatant violation of international law”.
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Union → call → law
Voters cast two separate ballots, filling half of the lower house’s 450 seats by selecting political parties listed on the ballot.
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Voters → cast → ballot
The rest are contested in single-seat constituencies, with voters choosing individual candidates.
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voters → contest → candidates
The main Kremlin party, United Russia, is widely expected to retain its overwhelming control of the State Duma.
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party → expect → Duma
Several smaller parties of the “systemic opposition” that vote in sync with Putin’s views on all key issues are also expected to maintain their presence.
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that → vote → presence
A massive state media campaign and tight control over the elections in the absence of genuine opposition all but assure the Kremlin will keep tight control of Russian politics amid mounting economic costs and increasing Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside the country.
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Kremlin → assure → country
The liberal Yabloko party, the only registered political entity that dared to publicly criticise the war, was removed from the ballot last month by Russia’s Supreme Court.
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that → dare → Court
It only has a few dozen candidates in the single-constituency races.
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It → have → races
Additionally, some anti-war politicians were imprisoned or forced to flee abroad ahead of the campaign.
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politicians → imprison → campaign
Russia didn’t invite election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
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Russia → invite → Europe
The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the body of “double standards” for its criticism of Russia.
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Ministry → accuse → Russia
The Aporia
