Putin's party set to retain power after Russia vote hit by cyberattacks, drones

MOSCOW: Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party is set to maintain its majority in Russia's parliamentary elections, as reported by state media early Monday. The vote, held following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, saw no opposition parties allowed to run. United Russia secured 57.5% of the vote, with the Communist Party and the LDPR nationalists trailing at 14% and 8.7% respectively.

United Russia is projected to retain its two-thirds majority in the 450-seat State Duma, enabling it to amend the constitution. Amid the election, Ukraine launched a barrage of Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow and surrounding areas, killing two people and setting an oil refinery ablaze. The Russian defence ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the democratic will of Russian citizens.

The Russian army vowed to intensify its strikes against Kyiv in response. Ukraine's largest drone attack on Moscow involved around 1,600 drones, with around 450 targeting the capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the strikes, stating they had a significant impact on the Moscow region. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have not stopped the ongoing mutual strikes, despite President Donald Trump urging Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian refineries.