Russia's Duma Election Wraps Up as Kremlin Seeks War Support Mandate

Russia's parliamentary election entered its third and final day on Sunday, with the ruling United Russia party widely expected to maintain its overwhelming control of the State Duma. The vote is the first since Moscow launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, and the Kremlin is likely to present the outcome as public endorsement of its policies and the ongoing conflict.

Most anti-war candidates were excluded from the ballot. The liberal Yabloko party, which had hoped to channel public fatigue with the war, said its members feared for their safety after courts handed lengthy jail terms to two senior figures before the vote over comments about the conflict that authorities deemed illegal. Under Russian law, discrediting the army or spreading what the state regards as fake news carries severe prison sentences.

The Kremlin has argued that national unity and certain restrictions are necessary during what it calls its special military operation, framing the war as part of an existential confrontation with a hostile West. It also claims that Ukrainian intelligence services and other adversaries are intensifying efforts to stir unrest inside Russia.

On Friday, President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of interfering in the election, pointing to a strike on the home of an election official in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region that killed the official, Elena Astanina. The details of the attack could not be independently verified, and Kyiv offered no immediate comment. Russian electoral officials also reported on Saturday that Moscow's online voting system had come under a cyberattack. Ukraine, which has suspended elections under martial law, has dismissed the Russian vote as a "pseudo election."

Despite the expected outcome, the Berlin-based NEST think tank, co-founded by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has suggested the vote could still create uncomfortable moments for the authorities amid economic strain. The group noted that the consequences of the war are increasingly felt within Russia, and that accumulated anxiety and frustration might translate into votes for the systemic opposition parties the Kremlin has permitted on the ballot. It identified the Communist party and the New People party as potential beneficiaries of protest voting, even though both have consistently backed 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, describing the nation as united by shared values and historical memory. Initial results are expected to begin emerging around 1800 GMT on Sunday, with fuller results due on Monday.