Russian elections began this weekend in Russia, with millions of people voting to choose a new parliament. United Russia is set to retain control of the Duma, keeping Vladimir Putin at the center of the political process.
The vote comes after last month’s removal of Yabloko, which was barred on a technicality despite campaigning on “For peace and freedom”. A Vladimir Putin Ties September Vote to War in Ukraine report outlined how the Kremlin has linked the ballot to its wider war effort.
Kremlin control in the Duma
United Russia will keep the Duma, while a portion of seats goes to other systemic parties that operate as Kremlin-licensed opposition. That structure preserves the appearance of competition without threatening the result that already appears fixed in advance.
The Kremlin wants the gap between United Russia’s official tally and a result that looks plausibly tied to public attitudes to stay small. That is the hard part of this election: the vote is meant to project authority, but it also has to avoid looking detached from war fatigue and public unease.
Yabloko barred last month
Yabloko’s exclusion last month removed one of the few listed alternatives from the ballot. The party’s campaign slogan was “For peace and freedom”, a direct contrast with a vote taking place while the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year and Russia counts about 1.5 million casualties.
Vladimir Putin has denied that any new draft is required, even as the election is being used to manage the political strain around the war. For readers inside Russia, the immediate practical outcome is narrower choice, a predetermined Duma majority, and a result that will be measured not just by who wins, but by how large the margin is when the votes are counted.
Votes counted this weekend
The next step is the count itself, followed by the declaration of the government’s victory margin. That figure will show whether the Kremlin has kept the official result close enough to public attitudes to sustain the political message it wants from Russian elections.
