One in three members of Russia’s new State Duma has ties to the war in Ukraine. Some are accused of war crimes. Here’s who they are — and what they’ve done.

According to preliminary results, United Russia has secured over three-quarters of the seats in Russia's new State Duma, following the country's first elections since the start of the war in Ukraine. Among the 450 lawmakers, it is reported that 49 individuals who participated in the "special military operation" will be part of the party's ticket, fulfilling President Putin's request to elevate military personnel into Russia's "new elite."

However, this "war faction" is just a part of the broader group of lawmakers connected to the conflict.

Out of the 148 lawmakers in the "war faction," some have directly fought in the war, while others have contributed to it through various means, such as financing, providing infrastructure support, or even serving as military medics or instructors. It is worth noting that not all those with the "war participant" label have concrete evidence of military service.

Some have been involved in humanitarian trips to the front or received recognition for their contributions to supporting the war effort without having fought directly.

For instance, some potential deputies have publicly claimed to have fought in the war, although their accounts have raised doubts. Dmitry Sablin and Vitaly Milonov, both re-elected to the State Duma, have been accused of exaggerating their military service. Sablin's website stated that he joined a reconnaissance unit in October 2022, while "military correspondent" Semyon Pegov described him as "constantly in the field" since the invasion began.

Meanwhile, flight data published by an independent Russian investigative outlet corroborated these claims.