Early results from Russia’s first parliamentary elections since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine show President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party comfortably ahead, with no major upset reported in a tightly controlled vote.
More than 90 per cent of ballots had been counted by Monday, according to figures from Russia’s Central Election Commission, with United Russia receiving 57.86 per cent of the vote. The party is expected to retain its dominance in the 450-seat State Duma.
Turnout stood at just under 57 per cent on Sunday night. More than 3.6 million people also voted online, according to Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.
United Russia leads Russia parliamentary election results
Half of the seats in the lower house are allocated through party lists, while the remaining 225 are contested in single-seat constituencies. United Russia was leading in most of those races as well.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation was in second place on 13.84 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia on 8.9 per cent and New People on 7.94 per cent. A Just Russia had 4.95 per cent.
All four parties were on course to win seats, although they generally support the Kremlin on major parliamentary votes. The Berlin-based NEST think tank said support for the Communist Party and New People could nevertheless represent a form of silent protest against Mr Putin and United Russia.
“The consequences of the war are increasingly being felt within the country, and accumulated anxiety and frustration may translate into votes for the systemic opposition parties that the Kremlin has allowed to remain on the ballot,” NEST said.
Most anti-war candidates were barred from standing. Candidates from the liberal Yabloko party said they feared for their freedom after two senior party figures received lengthy prison sentences over comments about the war.
Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov spoiled his ballot paper by writing the party’s name alongside the words “For peace”.
Voting also took place in Crimea and in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, which Moscow claims to have annexed. Ukraine has condemned the inclusion of voters from those areas, while the United Nations and most countries do not recognise the territories as part of Russia.
Ukraine denounces election as illegal
In Russia, the Central Election Commission is due to publish preliminary results and turnout figures on Monday. Final results are not expected before Friday, after all ballots have been counted and other legal procedures completed.
United Russia won 326 seats in the previous State Duma election in 2021, while the Communist Party took 57 seats.
Ukraine described the latest election as illegal. Moscow, meanwhile, accused Kyiv of trying to disrupt the vote after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeted Moscow and other Russian regions on Sunday.
Russian officials said the attacks killed three people in the Moscow region and two in Russian-held Kherson, including an election official. A facility at Moscow’s oil refinery was also damaged, while a further attack in the Bryansk region on Monday morning was reported to have killed one person and wounded three others.
