Russian President Vladimir Putin described the parliamentary elections as a test of support for the war in Ukraine as they entered their third and final day on Sunday. The ruling United Russia party is expected to maintain its dominance. On Friday, Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere in the elections, citing a Ukrainian attack on the home of an election official in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, which resulted in her death.
On the final day of voting, hundreds of drones targeted Moscow and its surroundings, resulting in a large-scale attack that killed two people and damaged residential areas and a facility belonging to the Moscow oil refinery. Ukrainian officials have rejected the Russian elections, labeling them a "sham" due to the country's martial law. Russia's electoral commission reported that voter turnout in the Russian parliamentary elections had reached 45.1% as of the end of the second day.
The voting process has been marred by allegations of cyberattacks on Russia's electronic voting system. On Saturday, election officials in Moscow announced that their system had been subjected to a powerful external cyberattack, which was successfully repelled. Over 5.8 million voters had cast their ballots online, surpassing previous records. More than 3.2 million people used the remote electronic voting platform, while 2.6 million votes were received through Moscow's electronic voting system.
Despite reports of isolated incidents, the Central Election Commission described the second day of voting as calm. Russia's Interior Ministry received 367 reports related to the electoral process, including 24 false reports of terrorist incidents in 15 regions. However, observers from the public noted that most reports of irregularities were not confirmed.
The international community has been watching the elections closely, with concerns over the legitimacy of the voting process. Ukraine's rejection of the elections has been echoed by some Western governments, who have expressed doubts about the fairness of the electoral process. In response to these concerns, Russia's election commission has emphasized the security measures in place to protect the integrity of the vote.
Preliminary results are expected to be released around 18:00 GMT on Sunday, with more comprehensive results anticipated on Monday. The elections will determine the composition of Russia's State Duma, the lower house of parliament, for the next five years. The outcome is widely expected to maintain the dominance of the United Russia party, which has been in power since 2001.
The elections have significant implications for Russia's domestic and foreign policy, particularly with regard to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The results will be closely watched by investors and policymakers, who are keen to understand the trajectory of Russian politics and its potential impact on the global economy.
Key points
- The Russian parliamentary elections have been marked by allegations of cyberattacks and interference from Ukraine.
- The ruling United Russia party is expected to maintain its dominance in the State Duma.
- Voter turnout in the elections reached 45.1% as of the end of the second day.
