The Aporia · Polls close in Russian wartime election with ruling party set to dominate

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 by AI on 2026-09-21, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Russia held its parliamentary election from September 18 to 20, 2026, marking the first such vote since President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Preliminary results showed a landslide victory for United Russia, securing over three-fourths of the seats in the State Duma, with 349 out of 450 total seats. The election included residents from four illegally annexed regions of Ukraine and Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014; Kyiv denounced these votes as illegal.

The Kremlin tightly controlled the electoral process, barring genuine opposition candidates like those from the anti-war Yabloko party, ensuring United Russia's dominance. Putin emphasized voter turnout as a demonstration of public support for his policies and the war effort. Despite economic pressures and anxiety among Russians due to the ongoing conflict, nearly 60% of eligible voters participated.

Notably, 46 veterans of Russia’s war in Ukraine were elected to the State Duma, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praising their involvement in lawmaking. However, critics argue that this election lacked genuine political competition and fair democratic practices. The results further cemented Putin's control over Russian politics while highlighting the limitations of his image as an untouchable ruler following a Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow during voting. Kyiv condemned the inclusion of annexed territories in Russia’s electoral process.

Written for “Russian Parliamentary Election Cyberattacks And Fraud Claims” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 69 other(s) covering the same event.

This article reads leans right and hedges 5% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Russia wraps up first wartime parliamentary election with Kremlin dominance all but assured Same event

Toronto Star

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 2 of 44 claims Outlet record 64/100

Russia kicks off voting in first parliamentary election since Ukraine war began Same event

Times of India

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 12 claims Outlet record 59/100

Russians go to polls against backdrop of Ukraine war and Putin’s tightening grip Same event

The Guardian

⚖️ Leans strongly left further left than this Hedges 2 of 35 claims Outlet record 66/100

Russians begin voting in staged election Putin is guaranteed to win - with parties that support his war the only ones allowed to enter Same event

Daily Mail

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 31 claims Outlet record 68/100

Russians begin voting in controlled election as war drags on Same event

The Straits Times

Hedges 0 of 28 claims Outlet record 66/100

Voting begins in Russian parliamentary election which Putin has cast as barometer of support for war Same event

The Straits Times

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 9 claims Outlet record 66/100

Russians begin 3 days of voting in a parliamentary election set to cement the Kremlin's power Same event

Toronto Star

⚖️ Leans left further left than this Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 64/100

Russians begin voting in parliamentary election set to cement Kremlin's power Same event

CBC News

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 1 of 19 claims Outlet record 60/100

Russians vote in elections with no party opposing Putin or war in Ukraine Same event

Euronews

⚖️ Leans strongly left further left than this Hedges 1 of 37 claims Outlet record 60/100

The view from Russia: ‘No party can be antiwar’ in parliamentary election Same event

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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. asserted

elections → want → action

Recommended Stories list of 3 items- list 1 of 3The view from Russia: ‘No party can be antiwar’ in parliamentary election - list 2 of 3Do elections in Russia make a difference? asserted

elections → make → difference

- list 3 of 3Russia’s elections are more than political theatre 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. asserted

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. asserted

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. asserted

turnout → show → percent

The first official results and turnout are expected on Monday morning. asserted

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. asserted

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. asserted

Authorities → denounce → result

The European Union on Friday called the action a “blatant violation of international law”. asserted

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. asserted

Voters → cast → ballot

The rest are contested in single-seat constituencies, with voters choosing individual candidates. asserted

voters → contest → candidates

The main Kremlin party, United Russia, is widely expected to retain its overwhelming control of the State Duma. asserted

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. asserted

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. asserted

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. asserted

that → dare → Court

It only has a few dozen candidates in the single-constituency races. asserted

It → have → races

Additionally, some anti-war politicians were imprisoned or forced to flee abroad ahead of the campaign. asserted

politicians → imprison → campaign

Russia didn’t invite election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. asserted

Russia → invite → Europe

The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the body of “double standards” for its criticism of Russia. asserted

Ministry → accuse → Russia

Polls close in Russian wartime election with ruling party set to dominate

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