Russian election enters final day amid Ukraine war tensions

The Russian parliamentary election entered its final day on Sunday, with President Vladimir Putin presenting it as a measure of public support for his government amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The three-day vote is the first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Ukraine launched a drone attack on the Russian capital on Sunday, which he described as the biggest ever. The attack, which was repelled, aimed to disrupt the final day of the election. Local authorities reported that two people were killed in the surrounding Moscow region and the capital's oil refinery was struck. Sobyanin stated that over 1,600 drones had been shot down across all fronts, with 450 approaching Moscow.

The election is expected to see the ruling United Russia party retain its dominance in a political system that critics say does not tolerate dissent. The Kremlin is likely to present the outcome as a show of support for its actions in Ukraine.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, The Korea Times, South China Morning Post — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.