Hundreds of drones target Moscow, killing at least two

MOSCOW: The Russian parliamentary election, which President Vladimir Putin has framed as a vote of confidence for his war in Ukraine, began its concluding day on Sunday. The ruling United Russia party is anticipated to maintain its strong grip on power in a political environment critics allege lacks room for dissent. The State Duma vote, the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is expected to serve as proof to the Kremlin of public backing for its policies and the ongoing war, Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two that has ground on for five years with no end in sight.

Numerous anti-war candidates were omitted from the ballot, while those who did participate from the liberal Yabloko party, which has historically garnered only a fraction of the vote and attempted to capitalize on war weariness, expressed concerns about their freedom as courts had sentenced two senior party officials to lengthy prison terms for making comments about the conflict deemed illegal by authorities.

Discrediting the military or disseminating what authorities deem as false information can result in significant prison sentences. The Kremlin maintains that national unity and some censorship are essential during what it refers to as its special military operation in Ukraine, depicting the conflict as part of an existential battle against a hostile West and alleging that Ukrainian intelligence services and other adversaries are intensifying efforts to incite unrest within Russia.

On Friday, Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere in the election, citing what he claimed was a Ukrainian strike on the home of an election official in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region that resulted in the death of Elena Astanina. However, Reuters was unable to independently verify the attack details, and Kyiv has not yet issued a formal statement.

Russian electoral authorities also reported on Saturday that an online voting system in Moscow had been targeted by a cyberattack. Kyiv, which has imposed martial law and suspended elections, has dismissed the Russian election as a "pseudoelection." Despite the election's anticipated outcome, the NEST think-tank in Berlin, co-founded by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who has been labeled a "foreign agent" by Russian authorities, believes the vote could still present challenges for the Kremlin amid growing economic strain.

The NEST noted that the consequences of the war are increasingly being felt domestically, and mounting anxiety and frustration could potentially translate into votes for systemic opposition parties that the Kremlin has permitted to remain on the ballot. Both the Communist party and the New People party have historically aligned with United Russia on major issues.

At the outset of the election, Putin addressed the nation via television, stating that the vote would reaffirm support for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, emphasizing unity among millions of people bound by shared values, historical memory, and love for their homeland, asserting that no one would succeed in dividing or intimidating Russia.

Initial results are expected to begin appearing around 1800 GMT on Sunday, with comprehensive results made available on Monday.