Russian authorities released full results from the September 2026 parliamentary election, showing that President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party secured over three-fourths of seats in the State Duma with nearly 58% voter support. The Central Election Commission reported a record turnout of almost 60%, facilitated by extended voting days and online options. Despite economic challenges and ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks—during which thousands of drones were reportedly downed—the Kremlin maintained tight control over the election process, ensuring minimal opposition presence in parliament.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
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.
Russian authorities on Friday (September 25, 2026) released the full results from the country's first wartime parliamentary election, which further cemented the Kremlin's overwhelming political control.
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which → release → control
The three-day balloting ended Sunday (September 20, 2026).
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balloting → end → ?
According to the results released by the Central Election Commission, the main Kremlin party, United Russia, will get more than three-fourths of the seats in the lower house, the State Duma, a record high.
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party → accord → house
The tightly orchestrated vote excluded virtually any genuine opposition.
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vote → orchestrate → opposition
Nearly 60% of the 111 million eligible voters turned out, the most for a parliamentary election in over a decade.
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% → turn → decade
Authorities had spread the voting over three days and allowed online voting in some regions to boost participation.
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voting → spread → participation
The parliamentary election was the first since President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the first to include residents of four regions of that country that were seized and illegally annexed by Moscow later that year.
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that → launch → Moscow
Voting also was held in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
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which → hold → 2014
Kyiv denounced the voting in those regions as illegal.
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Kyiv → denounce → regions
Mr. Putin declared on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) that the election results was a show of public support for the Kremlin policies.
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results → declare → policies
A massive state media campaign and tight control over the election allowed the Kremlin to strengthen its political dominance despite economic troubles and long-range Ukrainian drone attacks.
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Kremlin → allow → troubles
Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova said that United Russia got 349 out of 450 Duma seats.
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Russia → say → seats
It polled just under 58% of the ballot for the 225 seats apportioned by parties and also won 209 single-seat races that fill the other half of the chamber.
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that → poll → chamber
Several smaller parties representing the “systemic opposition” that vote in line with the Kremlin wishes on all key issues won 97 seats, and the remaining four seats were filled by candidates who ran without a party affiliation, Pamfilova said.
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Pamfilova → represent → affiliation
United Russia and other parties said they put dozens of Ukraine war veterans on its lists.
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they → say → lists
The liberal Yabloko party, the only registered political entity that dared to publicly criticize the war, was removed from the ballot last month by Russia's Supreme Court.
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that → register → Court
It only had a few dozen candidates in the single-seat races and none of them won a seat.
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none → have → seat
The election took place against the backdrop of incessant Ukrainian drone attacks.
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election → take → attacks
On Sunday, Russia's Defense Ministry reported it downed 1,110 drones overnight.
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it → report → drones
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones were downed while flying toward the city on Sunday in what he described as “the largest ever” attack on the capital in a failed attempt to disrupt the vote.
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he → say → vote
The attack, which damaged an oil refinery and a residential building, killed three people and injured 38 in the wider Moscow region, officials said.
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officials → damage → region
Pamfilova said six polling workers were killed in Ukrainian attacks and 75 polling stations were damaged or destroyed by shelling during the voting.
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stations → say → voting
The Aporia
