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

Russia pledged on Sunday to escalate its assaults on Kyiv following Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow. An exit poll indicated Kremlin-backed United Russia party is favored to secure a majority in the parliamentary elections. Ukraine conducted drone attacks on Moscow and its outskirts on election day, resulting in two deaths and a fire at an oil refinery.

The Russian defense ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to undermine the democratic will of Russian citizens and promised a stern response. Putin had encouraged voter turnout, framing the vote as a demonstration of support for Russian forces and a counter to those seeking to weaken Russia. The Russian army pledged to intensify precision strikes on Ukrainian military targets in Kyiv, with some 1,600 drones involved, 450 of which aimed directly at Moscow.

Ukrainian President Zelensky hailed the attacks as having a significant impact on the Moscow region. The parliamentary vote, Russia's first since the start of the Ukraine conflict, saw United Russia projected to win 49.4% of the vote, followed by the Communist Party and the nationalist LDPR party.