The pro-Putin United Russia party has maintained its dominant majority in Russia’s national parliament, with near-complete election results confirming its strong position. Meanwhile, the anti-war Yabloko party managed to secure a small presence in one regional parliament.
President Vladimir Putin framed the three-day State Duma election—the first since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022—as a referendum on public support for the war. Concurrently, elections for several regional parliaments and gubernatorial posts were held.
In a political environment tightly controlled by the government, where genuine opposition is often suppressed and many Yabloko candidates were disqualified, few unexpected outcomes were anticipated. However, political experts noted that it was crucial for the authorities to present the election process as orderly and legitimate. Officials, including Putin, emphasized the vote as a demonstration of national unity in the face of external adversaries.
With over 95 percent of votes tallied, Ella Pamfilova, chair of the Central Electoral Commission, announced that United Russia had achieved a decisive victory, capturing 57.83 percent of the vote—an increase from the 49.8 percent it received in the 2021 parliamentary election. The party is projected to hold 355 seats, nearly 80 percent of the 450-seat Duma, including wins in individual constituencies. This majority allows United Russia to pass legislation and amend the constitution without needing support from other parties.
Three other parties crossed the parliamentary threshold: the Communist Party with 13.81 percent, the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) with 8.98 percent, and the New People party with 7.96 percent. Just Russia fell just short of the 5 percent mark but was considered likely to secure seats. Notably, all these parties have aligned with United Russia on key votes in recent years.
In Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Putin, was re-elected for a fifth term as regional leader with an official result nearing 100 percent.
Voter turnout reached a record 59.3 percent among Russia’s 111 million eligible voters, despite a significant Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow on the final day of voting. Pamfilova described the election as “clean,” countering opposition claims from exiled activists alleging widespread fraud.
Yabloko, Russia’s only registered anti-war party, failed to win any seats at the national level. However, in Novgorod, located about 480 kilometers northwest of Moscow, the party surpassed the 5 percent threshold by a narrow margin, securing representation in the regional parliament. Yabloko stated that over 12,000 residents of Novgorod supported their platform, which advocates for a ceasefire in Ukraine. The party emphasized that values such as peace, freedom, and a life without fear resonated deeply with voters.
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