Russian authorities reported powerful cyberattacks hitting the Moscow electronic voting system and communication lines in the Far East on Saturday, as tightly controlled parliamentary elections entered their second day. President Vladimir Putin previously accused Ukraine of trying to interfere with the vote, an allegation Kyiv has not addressed while calling the election farcical.
Cyberattacks Hit Moscow Voting Systems as Election Enters Second Day
Russia’s electronic voting infrastructure in Moscow faced sustained disruption on Saturday as the country’s parliamentary elections moved into their second day of voting. Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia’s Central Election Commission, reported that the digital voting architecture had come under severe pressure overnight, noting that all night long, the Moscow system was subjected to a very powerful, continuous attack
according to Russia’s state RIA news agency.
“This attack is ongoing — it is happening practically non-stop,”
Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia’s Central Election Commission, via Russia’s state RIA news agency
Pamfilova stated that while the attacks were continuing, all were being successfully repelled by administrative systems. Alongside the digital voting interference, Russia’s digital ministry confirmed it had registered a sabotage attempt on communication lines in the country’s Far East, though authorities insisted that the attack had been thwarted and all communication had been restored.
Political Control and Exclusions Shape the State Duma Contest
The State Duma election, encompassing all 450 seats in Russia’s lower house of parliament, represents the first national legislative vote since Russia launched its full-scale war in February 2022. The ruling, pro-Putin United Russia party is widely expected to retain its dominant position within the political system. Ahead of the polling across Russia’s 11 time zones, electoral authorities systematically filtered the candidate pool.
Most anti-war candidates found themselves excluded from the ballot. The Supreme Court ruled last month that the liberal Yabloko party, which wants a ceasefire in Ukraine, had breached electoral rules—a charge the party denied. Despite the party-level ban, some Yabloko candidates are still contesting single-member constituencies, which account for half of the lower house seats, though the party has traditionally polled in the single digits.
Only parties that support Mr. Putin and the Kremlin’s military campaign have been registered to run. Voting is also being held in areas of east Ukraine under Russian occupation, a process that Ukraine has dismissed as farcical, while President Vladimir Putin yesterday accused Ukraine of trying to hinder the vote, an accusation to which Kyiv has not responded.
Voter Sentiment and Economic Pressures on the Ground
While few Russians doubt the ruling United Russia party will cruise to victory again, the vote offers a gauge of public support for the war and government. Nationwide turnout figures released by the Central Election Commission indicated that turnout as of 1400 local time on Saturday (1100 GMT) stood at 32.58% according to CEC data cited by state media.
In Moscow, one voter told AFP they were frustrated by the state of the economy. Diana, a 30-year-old voter, said, Many people have lost their jobs.
Wages are now falling rather than rising.
Conversely, 71-year-old Tatiana voiced her support for the incumbent administration, stating, It is the largest party, the hardest-working and most productive.
Regional Friction in Transdniestria Over Polling Stations
The election has also triggered a diplomatic dispute with Moldova over its objections to the Kremlin’s plan to open 15 polling stations for Russian nationals in Moldova’s separatist pro-Russian Transdniestria region. Moscow says the 220,000 residents of Transdniestria, a sliver of land which broke away from Moldova in 1990 at the end of Soviet rule, hold Russian passports and are entitled to vote.
The election, which will decide all 450 seats in Russia’s lower house State Duma, is due to run until Sunday evening, leaving authorities racing to secure digital networks against ongoing disruptions.
