Russians have begun a three-day voting period for the State Duma, marking the country's first parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Polls opened in the Far East on Friday in a vote that is tightly controlled and stripped of meaningful competition.
President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party is expected to extend the grip on parliament it has held for 23 years. While nine other parties are appearing on the ballot, they all back Putin’s policies, and the only party that criticized the war was removed. United Russia, which won more than two-thirds of the seats in 2021, is poised to dominate the body once again.
Putin has framed the election as a barometer of support for the war in Ukraine, providing the Kremlin an opportunity to gauge public sentiment. This occurs as the government closely watches a population experiencing growing support for peace talks.
The vote takes place amid widespread war fatigue and anxiety. Fuel shortages, drone strikes, and mobilization rumors have contributed to a tense atmosphere during the first wartime parliamentary election.