Peace is a ‘dangerous’ word in Russian city heading to polls as residents reel from deadly Ukrainian drone strikes

On September 17, Tambov, a Russian city of roughly 250,000 inhabitants located about 500 kilometers southeast of Moscow, braced for its parliamentary elections. Residents, still reeling from the devastating Ukrainian drone strikes, prepared to vote with a sense of urgency. Diana, an 18-year-old student, described the attacks as "terrifying," while Daria, a 35-year-old manicurist, emphasized the importance of voting, backing the anti-war Yabloko party.

Despite United Russia's overwhelming likelihood to secure a majority, Tambov residents understood the significance of the polls. The city's anti-war party, Yabloko, which is prohibited at the national level, was fielding candidates in local races, hoping to sway voters away from the pro-war opposition parties. However, the party's candidate, Yana Zenkina, advocated for peace, warning that "peace proposals during a war are always a dangerous path."

Zenkina's campaign was met with resistance, with local television stations banning her videos due to perceived extremist content. Nevertheless, she reported feeling supported by both younger and older Tambov residents, who were weary of the ongoing conflict. The Russian economy had been stagnant for a year, with Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries causing fuel shortages and price hikes.

Despite the local impact of these attacks, the Yabloko candidate noted that the strikes had not swayed voters toward their cause. The city's employment center head, Olga Meshcheryakova, assured that alternatives existed in the defense industry, offering comparable salaries to those lost in the oil sector. The Kremlin viewed high voter turnout as a means to legitimize Putin's rule, as analysts suggested.