{
  "id": 9005046,
  "title": "Putin’s United Russia remains in power. What should concern the West is how it got there - analysis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/putins-united-russia-remains-in-power-what-should-concern-the-west-is",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T21:02:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/international/internationalrussia-ukraine-war/article-909218"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party emerged victorious in the recent State Duma elections, securing a significant majority of seats with approximately 57.8% of the vote, according to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission. The final results are expected to be released on or before October 5. This victory is seen as a confirmation of Putin's continued grip on power, raising concerns about the potential escalation of the war in Ukraine, especially as there are fears of another round of draft orders.\n\nSome observers have labeled this election as Russia's most uncompetitive in modern history. The Kremlin's manipulation of the electoral process was evident in several ways. Firstly, the use of electronic voting in only 33 out of 89 federally recognized regions and a three-day election period made it easier to tamper with results. Secondly, Putin used the fact of Russia's having elections, despite the conflict in Ukraine, as evidence of the country's democratic nature and support for the war effort.\n\nPrior to the election, Putin's public approval rating was relatively low at 33%, according to the Kremlin-friendly Public Opinion Foundation. However, Kremlin-friendly media claimed that voter turnout was the highest since the early 2000s, around 60%. The lack of campaigning by United Russia candidates further highlighted the uncompetitive nature of the election. State-controlled TV channels even broadcast empty podiums as no candidates appeared for televised debates.\n\nDespite the uncompetitive election, only four opposition parties cleared the electoral threshold: the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, New People, and A Just Russia. Together, they hold a total of 89 seats in the federal government. The Kremlin has been actively eliminating dissenting parties from the ballot, leaving Russians with only 17 registered political parties to choose from, down from around 100 in the 1980s. This reduction in political options further consolidates the Kremlin's control over the electoral process.\n\nWhile some individual opposition candidates did run, 29 of at least 36 barred from the elections were Yabloko candidates, a left-leaning party that explicitly called for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Many of these candidates were fined for interacting with materials involving the late Russian activist Alexei Navalny. Their disqualification, fines, and labeling as \"foreign agents\" by the Kremlin highlight the Kremlin's efforts to suppress political opposition.",
  "summary": "Preliminary results released on Monday indicated that United Russia won 355 of 450 seats in the state’s lower house of the legislature, or approximately 57.8% of the vote.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "Novaya Gazeta Europe: United Russia would have won just 34% in State Duma elections without ballot stuffing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/novaya-gazeta-europe-united-russia-would-have-won-just-34-in-state",
        "published": "2026-09-21T20:44:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}