Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has won a record number of seats in the country’s parliamentary election. The result gives the ruling party an even stronger majority in the State Duma.
The election took place as Ukraine stepped up drone attacks on Russian territory. It was also the first parliamentary election in Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
United Russia Wins 355 Seats
Preliminary results show United Russia winning around 58 percent of the vote. The party is set to take 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. This is higher than its previous record of 343 seats in 2016.
United Russia has dominated Russian politics for more than two decades. The latest result gives Putin’s party greater control over parliament. The Communist Party won 40 seats, while the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia won 25. New People won 20 seats, according to reported results.
Russia Holds Election Amid War
The three-day election was held while the war in Ukraine continued. Turnout was close to 60 percent, according to Russian officials. The vote also included territories in Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed.
Ukraine and the European Union have rejected Russia’s authority to hold elections in those areas. Russia also did not invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor the election.
The election faced criticism over the lack of major opposition on the national ballot. Russia’s Supreme Court had also removed Yabloko, a registered opposition party that has criticised the war, from the national ballot before voting began.
Ukraine Steps Up Drone Attacks
The election took place amid a rise in Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia. Russian officials said drones targeted Moscow and several other regions during the voting period. Russian authorities also reported deaths and damage from the attacks.
Ukraine also targeted infrastructure in Russia. A Moscow-area oil refinery was among the sites reported to have been hit during the election period. The attacks showed that the war continues to reach deep inside Russian territory, even as Moscow held its parliamentary vote.
What the Result Means for Putin
The result gives United Russia a larger majority in the State Duma. The Kremlin is expected to present the result as evidence of support for Putin and his policies.
At the same time, the election took place without major anti-war opposition groups on the national ballot. This has led to questions over how fully the result reflects public opinion about the war.
The new parliament will begin its term as Russia continues to face the effects of the conflict. Fighting is still underway, while Ukraine continues to carry out attacks inside Russian territory. The strong parliamentary result gives Putin’s government continued control over the country’s legislative process.
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