Russia’s three-day stage-managed parliamentary election entered its final hours Sunday, with the ruling United Russia party widely expected to retain control of the State Duma. The vote is the first parliamentary election since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. President Vladimir Putin has portrayed the election as a demonstration of national unity and support for Russian troops. The campaign has taken place with most prominent anti-war candidates excluded. The Supreme Court barred Yabloko, Russia’s only registered party openly campaigning against the war, from the nationwide party-list ballot, although some of its candidates are contesting individual constituencies. Russian officials said Saturday that Moscow’s online voting system had come under cyberattack but remained operational. The vote, which opened Friday under tight Kremlin control, is expected to produce initial results on Sunday evening, with more complete figures due Monday.
