Russian parliamentary elections

Russia has concluded its parliamentary elections, the first to occur since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. President Vladimir Putin has framed the vote as a referendum on his wartime policies and the ongoing conflict. The ruling United Russia party is widely anticipated to secure a dominant victory in these tightly controlled elections. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that Russia may plan to draft an additional 300,000 troops for the war effort following these elections, indicating a continued commitment to the conflict. The Kremlin aims to use the election results to demonstrate popular support for its actions, despite the international context of the war and ongoing military operations in eastern Ukraine.