Russia holds first Duma election since Ukraine invasion

Russians began voting on Friday in a tightly controlled three-day parliamentary election, the first since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the outcome widely seen as predetermined to extend President Vladimir Putin's dominance. The vote for the 450-seat State Duma, which runs from September 18 to 20, is taking place against a backdrop of war, economic strain from Ukrainian drone strikes, and public anxiety about a potential new mobilization. Voting is also being conducted in four illegally annexed Ukrainian regions-Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia-a move Ukraine and the West do not recognize as legitimate. The election includes 11 regional governorships and deputies to regional legislatures in 39 federal subjects. Putin's United Russia party, which currently holds a constitutional supermajority, is expected to maintain its overwhelming control. The ballot features only parties that support the Kremlin and the war, including the Communist Party, A Just Russia, the nationalist LDPR, and New People.