Putin’s United Russia Leads in Russia’s Wartime Parliamentary Elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has taken the lead in Russia’s parliamentary elections, according to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission (CEC). With 83.52 percent of precinct reports processed, United Russia had secured 57.82 percent of the party-list vote.

The elections, held over three days from Friday, took place amid Ukrainian drone attacks and reported cyberattacks targeting voting systems. Russian authorities said the voting process remained largely smooth despite attempts to disrupt the election. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that 1,110 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russia, Crimea and the Black Sea on Sunday, while regional officials reported deaths caused by drone strikes in the Moscow and Kherson regions.

The election is the first parliamentary vote since Russia launched its 2022 military operation in Ukraine and included voting in territories Moscow claims to have incorporated following referendums that Ukraine and its Western allies reject. CEC Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said the attacks had not deterred voters, while the commission is expected to publish the final results before Friday.