Russia vows revenge for election-day attacks as poll shows ruling party win

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a vow of retaliation against Ukraine in response to drone attacks on Moscow, as an exit poll forecasts the ruling United Russia party to secure a decisive victory in tightly contested parliamentary elections.

Ukraine launched a barrage of drones targeting Moscow and surrounding regions on the final day of voting, resulting in two fatalities and the destruction of an oil refinery, according to Ukrainian officials. Moscow's defense ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to undermine the democratic process and pledged a strong response.

The exit poll, conducted by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center, indicated United Russia would garner 49.4% of the vote, mirroring its performance in the previous election. Russian Defense Minister accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt the "democratic will of Russian citizens" and vowed intensified high-accuracy strikes against military targets in Kyiv.

Minister of Defence Sergey Sobyanin revealed that nearly 1,600 drones were deployed, with 450 specifically targeting Moscow. The attacks caused significant damage, including a large explosion at a residential building and significant smoke emanating from an oil refinery. At least two individuals were killed and 400 others were evacuated due to a fire triggered by a drone crash into a 21-story building.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev, who leads the ruling United Russia party, expressed satisfaction with the party's performance, stating their decisions would be implemented. All other parties supporting the war and Putin were expected to perform worse, according to VCIOM director Valery Fedorov.

Putin had encouraged Russians to participate in the election, framing it as a show of support for Moscow's troops and a countermeasure against those seeking to weaken Russia. Opposition leaders, including Alexei Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya, called for widespread voting, reflecting the tense political climate. Cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure were reported, with the Central Election Commission reporting over 1,000 waves of DDoS attacks against election-related systems.