Russia Holds Wartime Parliamentary Poll in Occupied Ukrainian Territories; United Russia Leads Early Results

New Delhi: Russia has conducted its first parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, extending the vote to residents of Ukrainian territories that Moscow claims to have annexed. The election covered the Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, as well as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Ukraine and the European Union do not recognise Russia’s claims over these territories or the elections held there.

Preliminary results from Russia’s Central Election Commission showed United Russia, the party associated with President Vladimir Putin, leading the party-list vote. With roughly 58% of polling stations counted, the party had secured nearly 58% of the vote. The election was held for all 450 seats in the State Duma, with 225 seats allocated through party lists and another 225 contested in single-member constituencies.

Voting Extended to Four Ukrainian Regions

Russia’s election authorities included residents of the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow declared annexed in September 2022. Russian authorities say the areas have more than 3.5 million voters.

However, Russia does not control the entirety of these regions, and the 2022 annexation has not been internationally recognised. Moscow describes the territories as part of the Russian Federation, while Ukraine and much of the international community continue to regard them as Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation.

Voting in the occupied territories and some Russian border areas began before the nationwide three-day polling period. Russian officials cited security concerns for the extended voting schedule.

First Russian Parliamentary Election During the Full-Scale War

The 2026 vote is the first Russian parliamentary election held since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has presented participation from the territories it claims to have incorporated as part of their integration into Russia’s political system.

The election also took place amid continuing fighting between Russia and Ukraine, including attacks on Russian territory during the polling period.

Opposition Participation Remains Limited

The role of the opposition has been another major issue surrounding the election. Several anti-war and opposition candidates and groups were prevented from competing, while the liberal Yabloko party was largely sidelined from the contest.

Early results indicated that, alongside United Russia, several established parliamentary parties were positioned to retain seats. These parties have generally supported many of the Kremlin’s major policies.

Russian authorities reported overall turnout of approximately 56.66% when polls closed, according to the Central Election Commission.

Ukraine and EU Reject the Vote in Occupied Areas

Ukraine has rejected the elections held in the occupied territories as illegal and has called on other countries and international organisations not to recognise the results.

The European Union has likewise said it does not recognise Russia’s electoral process in the territories it occupies, describing the extension of Russian elections there as a violation of international law.

Ukrainian human rights groups have also reported allegations of pressure on residents to participate. Russian authorities, meanwhile, maintain that the territories have been incorporated into Russia and that their residents are entitled to participate in Russian elections.

What the Early Results Show

With the preliminary count showing United Russia at around 58% of the party-list vote, the initial results point to continued dominance by the Kremlin-aligned party in the State Duma. The final distribution of seats will depend on the completed count of both party-list and single-member constituency results.

The inclusion of occupied Ukrainian territories, limited opposition participation and the international dispute over the legitimacy of voting there have made the election a closely watched political event amid the continuing Russia-Ukraine war.