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RUSSIA’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION ENTERS FINAL DAY AMID MAJOR DRONE ATTACK
Russia’s three-day parliamentary election entered its final day on Sunday, September 20, as voters headed to the polls amid a major reported drone att...
By Patience
The election, which began on September 18, is the first State Duma vote since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. All 450 seats in the lower house of parliament are being contested.
VOTING TAKES PLACE AMID WAR
President Vladimir Putin has presented the election as a measure of public support for his policies and Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The ruling United Russia party is widely expected to retain its dominant position in the State Duma. Most candidates who openly oppose the war have been prevented from taking part in the election.
The vote is being closely watched because it is the first parliamentary election held since the full-scale war began.
MAJOR DRONE ATTACK REPORTED AROUND MOSCOW
The final voting day has coincided with what Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described as an unprecedented Ukrainian drone attack.
Sobyanin said more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted since Saturday, including about 450 that were heading toward Moscow. Russian authorities said two people were killed in the Moscow region.
An oil refinery in the Moscow region was also damaged, according to Russian authorities. Explosions were reported in Moscow, while smoke was seen rising from the refinery.
Ukraine has not commented on the reported attacks.
FOUR DEATHS REPORTED IN ATTACKS
Two additional deaths were reported in the Russian-controlled part of Kherson, including an election official.
The reported death toll from the attacks therefore stands at four, although the circumstances surrounding the individual incidents have not been independently verified.
RUSSIA ACCUSES UKRAINE OF TRYING TO DISRUPT VOTE
Sobyanin said the drone attack was intended to interfere with the election, although no independent evidence has been provided to establish that claim.
Russian authorities have also reported cyberattacks against electoral systems and communication infrastructure during the election.
Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere with the vote, while some of the allegations remain unverified.
RESULTS EXPECTED AFTER POLLS CLOSE
Voting is scheduled to end on Sunday, after which preliminary results are expected.
The election determines all 450 seats in Russia’s State Duma, with half elected through party lists and the other half through single-member constituencies.
The final results will determine the composition of Russia’s lower house for the next five-year parliamentary term.