Russia’s ruling United Russia party maintained a commanding lead as polls closed on September 20, 2026, in the country’s first parliamentary elections held during the war in Ukraine. The vote, marked by a massive drone attack on Moscow and widespread internet disruptions, was cast by the Kremlin as a referendum on military policy.
United Russia Dominates Early Returns Amid Tight State Control
Russia’s ruling United Russia party was on track to easily win a parliamentary election that President Vladimir Putin framed as a direct test of public backing for the ongoing military campaign. With initial results and partial tabulations released by the Central Election Commission, the ruling party held roughly 57.5 percent to 58 percent of the vote for the 225 seats apportioned by party lists.
Several smaller parties belonging to the systemic opposition
—including the Communists, the ultra-nationalist LDPR, the New People party, and the Just Russia party—trailed far behind but remained on course to secure seats in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
Unprecedented Drone Strikes and Cyberattacks Disrupt Capital
The final day of voting unfolded against the backdrop of what state news agency TASS described as the largest drone assault on the Russian capital since the full-scale conflict began in February 2022. Government officials accused Kyiv of launching hundreds of drones and cruise missiles targeting Moscow and surrounding regions in an explicit attempt to disrupt the parliamentary ballot.
Sobyanin added on Telegram that this unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections
while noting that the enemy did not succeed.
The strikes killed three people in the Moscow region and two additional individuals in the Russian-held portions of Ukraine’s Kherson region, including a local election official. A facility at a Moscow oil refinery also sustained damage, sending columns of thick black smoke into the air as polls opened.
Beyond aerial bombardments, electoral authorities reported that electronic voting systems and communication infrastructure faced waves of cyberattacks. Despite these disruptions, the Central Election Commission maintained that the overall balloting process proceeded smoothly across the country’s time zones.
Turnout Figures and the Backdrop of Severe Political Crackdowns
Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova reported that voter turnout stood at 56.66 percent by the close of polls. The Kremlin is expected to leverage these figures as proof of widespread domestic solidarity.
This electoral cycle took place amid the harshest political crackdowns seen in Russia since the Soviet era. Most prominent anti-war candidates were barred from running, and courts handed down lengthy prison sentences to dissenting figures prior to the vote under strict laws penalizing the spread of unapproved information about the military.
Controversial Voting Across Annexed Ukrainian Territories
The three-day election included approximately 111 million eligible voters, encompassing residents living inside four Ukrainian regions that Moscow partially occupies and claims to have annexed, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed in 2014.
Government authorities in Kyiv strongly condemned the balloting in these occupied territories, urging international governments to reject the legitimacy of the results. The European Union echoed these objections, issuing a formal statement characterizing the action as a blatant violation of international law
. Furthermore, Moscow declined to invite election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the Russian Foreign Ministry accusing the organization of practicing double standards.
Official Certification and What Lies Ahead
With voting concluded, attention turns to the formal release of verified seat allocations and turnout data. The first official results and finalized turnout statistics are scheduled to be published by election authorities on Monday morning.
