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Russians entered the third and final day of parliamentary voting on Sunday in a tightly controlled election designed to solidify Kremlin control as the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year.
The ruling United Russia party expects to secure another dominant victory, with all competing parties expressing support for President Vladimir Putin and the military offensive.
Russia’s Supreme Court barred the principal anti-war party, Yabloko, from running its federal list, leaving Putin’s opponents to choose between boycott calls and casting votes against the ruling party.
Moscow officials reported intense disruptions during the voting period, including massive drone strikes and cyberattacks.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that Russian air defences downed over 1,600 Ukrainian drones, including 450 aimed at the capital, characterising the offensive as an attempt to derail the poll.
Simultaneously, election officials reported deliberate sabotage of communication lines in Russia’s far east alongside heavy cyberattacks against Moscow’s electronic voting system.
The vote will decide all 450 seats in the State Duma amid public anxiety over potential post-election military mobilisations, persistent fuel shortages, and rising economic pressure.
While United Russia maintains strong support among loyalist voters, opposition figures in exile urged citizens to vote against Kremlin candidates, even as turnout reached roughly 40 per cent by Saturday evening.
