Russia's parliamentary elections conclude, with voting also held in occupied Ukrainian territories
Russia's three-day parliamentary elections end on Sunday, September 20, with residents of Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine also required to vote. Ukraine says it will not recognize the results there.
Sunday marks the third and final day of voting for Russia's State Duma elections, which also cover occupied parts of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Russia declared these four regions part of its territory in 2022, though it does not fully control any of them. Ukraine and most of the world do not recognize the annexation.
Voting in occupied areas
For security reasons, voting in the occupied territories began before the official three-day period. Ukrainian officials consider the vote there illegitimate. Human rights activists have reported pressure on some residents to participate, as well as instances where armed individuals accompanied election commission representatives.
First elections since the full-scale invasion
This is the first Russian parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. All 450 seats in the State Duma are being contested. The ruling United Russia party currently holds more than two-thirds of the seats in the lower house, while most politicians who openly opposed the war have either been barred from running or have left the country.
Putin's message and Ukraine's position
Ahead of the vote, Russian President Vladimir Putin explicitly linked the election to public support for Russian soldiers. Ukraine has stressed it will not recognize the results of voting held in the occupied territories. The first preliminary overall results are expected Sunday evening.
