Russia Votes as Antiwar Party Yabloko Barred, Dissent Squeezed

Russians began casting ballots in a parliamentary election spread across three days, with voting under way amid intensified attacks on Russian cities, fuel shortages, a spoiled summer season and a struggling economy. Residents of Russia-controlled Donbas are taking part in the vote for the first time.

Ahead of the election, the Kremlin further tightened its grip on the country's political scene, seeking to prevent even the slightest signs of dissent from threatening its dominance as public fatigue with the war in Ukraine grows and the economy worsens.

The only party opposing the Kremlin's fight in Ukraine, Yabloko, has been barred from fielding candidates in the election. Lev Shlosberg, a senior member of the 63-year-old party, was sentenced to 11 years and one month in prison on charges of discrediting and spreading false information about the military. Detentions of other candidates are continuing across the country.

Despite the pressure, antiwar-minded young people have rallied behind Yabloko, with thousands joining the party in August.

Multiple parties are putting forward veterans of what Russia calls the SVO as candidates. Questions surround how these veterans left service, which is indefinite for the majority of soldiers, why the Kremlin needs them in the election, and whether they truly represent a new elite as they are often billed.

Voting runs through the third and final day, when polls close and the central election commission is expected to brief on the latest figures. Reactions from European leaders, the United States administration and Ukraine are anticipated.