Russia begins parliamentary election expected to preserve Kremlin control

Voting has begun in Russia's parliamentary election, with the main Kremlin-backed party expected to keep its dominant position in the State Duma. The three-day vote started on Friday in Russia's Far East and comes after more than four years of full-scale war with Ukraine. Authorities have tightened control over the ballot, while the Kremlin seeks to present the election as a show of support for its wartime policy.

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United Russia is widely expected to retain its overwhelming grip on the lower house alongside other parties aligned with President Vladimir Putin. The only party that openly criticised the war was removed from the ballot, and some anti-war politicians have been imprisoned or forced to leave the country. Mr Putin said before the vote that the result would show that millions of people stand behind Russian forces and share common values and historical memory.

For the first time, the election includes residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow annexed after the invasion. Ukraine has called the vote illegal. The inclusion of those territories underlines how the war has reshaped Russia's domestic political process, with the Kremlin treating the ballot as part of its wider effort to legitimise its actions in Ukraine.

The election is taking place against a difficult economic backdrop. Ukraine's long-range drone strikes have damaged Russian oil refineries and logistical facilities, bringing the war closer to daily life for many Russians. The attacks have also added pressure to an economy that has fallen into stagnation after an initial boost from heavy military spending.

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Officials have responded by raising taxes and increasing domestic borrowing to help contain a growing budget deficit. Fuel shortages have become one of the most visible signs of that strain. A severe fuel crisis peaked in June, eased for a few weeks, and then returned in August after strikes on oil refineries.

The summer also saw attacks on warehouses used by online retailers Wildberries and Ozon, with hundreds of thousands of individual sellers losing merchandise. Those disruptions have fed public unease at a time when the government is trying to maintain political stability. The vote is the first wartime election for the lower chamber of parliament since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Analysts say the Kremlin sees it less as a contest and more as a mechanism to mobilise support for the war and reinforce Mr Putin's political dominance. The State Duma remains central to Russia's legislative system, but the outcome is not expected to challenge the current balance of power. What remains unclear is how turnout will compare with previous elections and how the authorities will present the result domestically.

It is also not yet clear how the inclusion of annexed Ukrainian regions will be reflected in the final tally and political messaging. The main point to watch is whether the Kremlin uses the vote to claim a renewed public mandate for the war and for its wider domestic agenda.

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