Russia Opens Three-Day Election as Kremlin Tests War Support

Russia opened polling stations in its Far East early Friday, launching a three-day parliamentary election that is expected to hand President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party another sweeping victory. The vote is Russia’s first parliamentary election since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. With meaningful opposition largely excluded, the election is less a contest for power than a Kremlin test of public support for Putin and his war.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Only parties broadly aligned with the Kremlin and its policies are allowed to compete. Moscow has also organized voting in occupied Ukrainian territories, a move condemned by Ukraine and Western governments. The 450 seats in Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, are up for election. Voting will continue until Sunday evening, with Russia’s Pacific regions of Kamchatka and Chukotka among the first to cast ballots. United Russia dominates Russian politics and is widely expected to retain control of the Duma. It faces four other parliamentary parties – the Communist Party, LDPR, A Just Russia and New People – all of which support most of Putin’s policies. Anti-war parties and opposition figures have been pushed out of the political system. The liberal Yabloko party was barred from competing shortly before the election, while one of its prominent figures, Lev Shlosberg, has been imprisoned after criticizing the war. Other Topics of Interest Tusk: Intelligence Warns Russia Plans ‘Accidental’ Hybrid Strikes Against Ukraine’s Allies Tusk says Moscow could disguise drone or missile strikes as accidents to weaken NATO cohesion and test Article 5. The Kremlin is closely watching how the war affects public sentiment, particularly as Ukrainian strikes have reached areas far from the battlefield and Russia faces mounting economic and military costs. Putin, who has ruled Russia since 1999, urged Russians to vote, saying participation would demonstrate that millions of people support Russian troops and oppose efforts to weaken the country. Opposition sidelined With protests and public criticism of the war heavily restricted, the election offers few avenues for Russians to openly challenge the Kremlin. Much of Russia’s organized opposition has been driven into exile or imprisoned. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic prison in 2024. Russia’s exiled opposition has urged anti-Kremlin voters to participate and vote against United Russia. Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, has called on anti-war Russians to coordinate their voting at noon Sunday. Yabloko has taken a different position, arguing that participating would legitimize a political system it considers controlled by the Kremlin. The election could also provide clues about public reaction to the possibility of further military mobilization. Putin ordered a call-up of 300,000 reservists in September 2022, triggering widespread protests and an exodus of draft-age men from Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Kremlin of preparing another mobilization campaign this autumn. Putin has denied the claim. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.