Ukraine pummels Moscow with drones on last day of Russian election

On the final day of Russia's parliamentary election, which President Vladimir Putin framed as a referendum on public support for the war in Ukraine, Ukraine conducted a significant drone strike on Moscow, according to Moscow's mayor. The attack, described as the largest in history, resulted in two fatalities in the Moscow region and prompted the city's oil refinery to release smoke plumes, though the extent of damage remains undetermined.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed in a Telegram post that the attack had been thwarted and that over 1,600 drones had been shot down across all fronts, with 450 approaching Moscow. Despite this, no comment from Ukraine was forthcoming. Sobyanin alleged the attack aimed to interfere with the election, a claim the Kremlin echoed, emphasizing it as proof of public backing for the war and Putin's policies.

The State Duma vote, the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is expected to see United Russia, the ruling party, maintain its stronghold. However, the election, barred from participation by most anti-war candidates, including those of the liberal Yabloko party, is viewed by critics as a display of dissent suppression. Yabloko's leader, Nikolai Rybakov, made a symbolic gesture against the regime by defying the electoral authorities by spoiling his ballot, writing his party's name and the slogan "For Peace."

Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the election, citing a cyberattack on Moscow's online voting system, though this claim has not been independently confirmed. While the election's predictable outcome is seen as a foregone conclusion, experts at the Berlin-based NEST think tank argue that the war's economic strain may still yield unexpected results, potentially giving a boost to opposition parties that the Kremlin has allowed to remain on the ballot.