Russia Votes Amid Largest Drone Attack on Moscow, Cyber Strikes

Ukraine launched what Moscow's mayor described as the largest drone attack on the Russian capital to date on Sunday, coinciding with the final day of voting in Russia's parliamentary election. The vote is widely seen as a test of public support for President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, air defences repelled the attack, which he said was clearly planned to disrupt the election. "The enemy did not succeed," he stated on Telegram. The strikes killed three people in the Moscow region and two in the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Kherson region, including an election official, local authorities said. A facility at Moscow's oil refinery was also damaged, with flames and thick smoke visible as voting began in the capital.

Election authorities reported that voting systems withstood waves of cyber attacks, which they attributed to external efforts to derail the State Duma election — the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said the attacks had not deterred voters, adding that pressure was met with an "unprecedented level of public unity."

The ruling United Russia party is expected to retain its dominance in a political system that critics say tolerates little dissent. Most anti-war candidates were barred from the ballot. The liberal Yabloko party, which had hoped to tap into war fatigue, said it feared for its freedom after courts handed long jail terms to two senior figures before the vote for comments about the conflict. Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov spoiled his ballot paper in a small act of defiance, writing his party's name and the slogan "For peace."

The Kremlin argues that national unity and some censorship are necessary during what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine, framing the conflict as part of an existential struggle with a hostile West. Moscow accuses Ukrainian intelligence and other enemies of stepping up efforts to stir unrest inside Russia.

Kyiv, which has suspended elections under martial law, dismissed the Russian vote as a "pseudo election." Putin on Friday accused Ukraine of trying to interfere, citing a strike that killed an election official in Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region. The details could not be independently verified, and Kyiv offered no comment.

Despite the predictable outcome, the Berlin-based NEST think-tank, co-founded by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, noted that the vote could still produce awkward moments for the Kremlin amid economic strain. It suggested that accumulated anxiety and frustration might translate into votes for systemic opposition parties like the Communist party and New People party, which have consistently voted with United Russia on major issues.

In a televised address before the election, Putin said the vote would demonstrate support for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. "Your choice, and your will, will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our soldiers, that we are a united people bound together by shared values, historical memory, and love for our homeland, and that no one will succeed in dividing or intimidating us," he said.

Initial results are expected to begin emerging around 1800 GMT on Sunday, with more complete results available on Monday.