Moscow — Russia’s ruling United Russia party is projected to claim a decisive victory in Sunday’s State Duma elections, a tightly managed parliamentary vote that took place against the backdrop of what officials described as the largest Ukrainian drone assault ever targeting the Russian capital.
According to data released by the Central Election Commission, United Russia garnered 57.5% of the vote after more than 71% of ballots had been tallied. The result cements the party’s dominance in the 450-seat lower house as it marks the first legislative election since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The poll coincided with significant destruction in Moscow. Three individuals were killed when Russian authorities reported that Ukrainian drones struck the city outskirts, igniting massive plumes of black smoke and damaging a facility at an oil refinery. Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow’s mayor, characterized the incident as the most substantial enemy drone attack on the capital to date.
Government officials in Moscow accused Kyiv of orchestrating the strike to disrupt the electoral process. In response, Ukraine condemned the Kremlin’s decision to include residents from regions illegally annexed by Russia during the war on the voting rolls.
The outcome is expected to further consolidate United Russia’s political control after more than four and a half years of conflict. All parties permitted to run have publicly affirmed their loyalty to President Vladimir Putin and his policy agenda. Notably, the liberal Yabloko party, the sole registered group to oppose the war, was excluded from the ballot by the country’s highest court.
I can’t believe they included voters from occupied territories. The international community should be condemning this blatant illegality.
57.5% feels low for a managed system. Do they really think we believe this isn’t just performative loyalty?
The timing is chilling. Using drones to influence a domestic election? That’s a new low in hybrid warfare tactics.