Moscow — Russia is holding the third and final day of its parliamentary election on Sunday as the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, with the vote expected to further reinforce the Kremlin's hold on power.
The ruling United Russia party, which supports President Vladimir Putin, is expected to secure a majority once again. The party has won every parliamentary election held in Russia since 2003.
Before the election, Russia's Supreme Court barred the anti-war Yabloko party from competing through the federal party-list system. Other major parties taking part in the election support Putin and Russia's ongoing military operation in Ukraine. However, some Yabloko candidates are contesting individual constituencies.
This is the first parliamentary election held in Russia since the country launched its military operation in Ukraine in 2022. The election is therefore expected to provide some indication of public opinion in Russia regarding the war.
Putin has urged Russian citizens to participate in the election, presenting voting as a demonstration of support for the Russian military and as a response to those he says are seeking to weaken the country.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russia's air-defense systems had shot down more than 1,600 drones before voting began on the final day. According to Sobyanin, around 450 of the drones were heading toward Moscow. He claimed the attacks were intended to disrupt the election.
Voting for the 450 seats in Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, will continue until 18:00 GMT on Sunday.
The possibility of another military mobilization has also been discussed during the election period. In 2022, Russia mobilized 300,000 reservists, prompting large numbers of Russian men to leave the country. Putin has said there are currently no plans for another such mobilization.
Meanwhile, Ella Pamfilova, chairwoman of Russia's Central Election Commission, said Moscow's electronic voting system had been targeted by a "powerful" cyberattack. She said the attackers had also attempted to disrupt communications in Russia's Far Eastern regions.
According to the Central Election Commission, around 40 percent of voters had cast their ballots by Saturday evening.
