Voting opened Friday in Russia’s Far East, with polling stations in Kamchatka and Chukotka going live as the first of a three‑day national poll.
President Vladimir Putin urged citizens to vote in a televised address, framing participation as a demonstration of unity and support for soldiers amid the war’s fifth year.
United Russia, the party of the incumbent, is expected to maintain its majority in the 450‑seat lower house, while opposition groups—Communist, Liberal Democratic, A Just Russia, and New People—vie for a slice of power; the Yabloko party was removed from the ballot by the Supreme Court, and the election also casts ballots in Russian‑controlled Ukrainian territories, a move Kyiv calls illegal.
Analysts note the vote will gauge public sentiment as economic sanctions tighten and Ukrainian drone strikes reach deeper into Russian soil, putting pressure on the Kremlin’s narrative.
In a small village near the Arctic Circle, 12‑year‑old Mikhail watches the ballot boxes open, hoping his mother’s farm survives the war. Results will be announced early next week, with the Kremlin likely to confirm United Russia’s dominance and the international community watching for signs of domestic pressure.