Russians begin voting in controlled election as war drags

Polling stations opened in Russia's Far East on Friday, marking the start of a three-day election that will see President Vladimir Putin's party virtually certain of victory. This is the first parliamentary election since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. Only parties that support Putin and the Kremlin's military campaign have been allowed to run. Moscow has also set up polling stations in occupied Ukraine.

The vote, which will run until 6 PM GMT on Sunday, will take place across Russia's 11 time zones. United Russia, the ruling party led by Putin since 1999, is facing only other parties that largely agree with his policies and support the war in Ukraine. These include the Communist Party, the nationalist LDPR, A Just Russia, and New People.

Yabloko, which had advocated for an end to the fighting, was barred from participating shortly before the election. Many Russians feel that voting for United Russia is inevitable, as they see no real alternative.

Tatiana Stanovaya, a Russian political expert based in France, noted that for Putin, the election is emotionally and politically significant. He frequently compares his political situation to that of European countries, emphasizing that he enjoys the strong support of the Russian people. The Kremlin has banned criticism of the Ukraine campaign, and the tightly controlled elections are unlikely to yield any surprises.

The vote is seen as a way for the Kremlin to gauge public support for the war, which has had a particularly devastating impact on ordinary Russians this year. The conflict has reached as far as the Urals and Siberia, causing significant damage and casualties. Ukrainian strikes have also hit Russian territory, further fueling the Kremlin's desire to gauge public sentiment.

Despite the lack of a public debate and the ban on protests, the vote is expected to serve as a barometer for the Kremlin regarding public frustration with the conflict. This year, the war has been particularly detrimental to ordinary Russians, with strikes causing billions of rubles in damage and civilian deaths. Putin's political opponents, including Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison in 2024, have largely been driven into exile.

The exiled opposition has called on Russians not to boycott the elections but to vote against Putin's party, providing recommendations for where to cast their ballots in different regions. Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, also urged anti-war Russians to vote on Sunday at noon. However, some, like Yabloko, argue that it is better not to participate in the election, expressing disgust at the idea of voting for a party responsible for the deaths of Russians and Ukrainians.