Most Recent Russian Parliamentary Election Results, Reactions, and the Future

Voting at the constituent assembly of the Peaceful Russia party, June 13, 2026. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Russo-Ukrainian war began in February 2014, but it was not until February 2022 that a full fledged invasion of Ukraine occurred. Starting on September 18, 2026, Russia had its first parliamentary elections since 2021, before the invasion commenced. Holding the election was controversial because it is illegal for Ukraine to hold elections under martial law, a type of militarial government that can temporarily replace a typical civilian government, especially during war time. 

For the parliamentary election, there were initially two main opposing parties in the running: United Russia and Yabloko. United Russia is the ruling party of the Russian government, and the Kremlin is the administration of incumbent President Vladimir Putin. Yabloko is the only anti-war party in Russia. Days after Yabloko was registered to be on the parliamentary election ballot, a lawsuit against them was introduced by the Rodina Party. The Rodina Party is known to be affiliated with the Kremlin. After this lawsuit came to light, Yabloko was removed from the ballot by the Russian Supreme Court. Eight Yabloko members were also jailed after speaking out about their anti-war views. Only pro-war parties were allowed to stay on the ballot. Left on the ballot were parties that had similar alignment with the Kremlin party, removing any threats to the current administration. Concluding the election, over three-fourths of the lower chamber of the Parliament, called Duma, is led by a pro-Kremlin affiliated majority. 

What made this election different from the previous Russian elections was that it included annexed areas of Ukraine as voting regions. This included the regions of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. According to Olena Lennon, a Practitioner in Residence of National Security at the University of New Haven, the reason for the large push for an election helps create the illusion of national unity and adds to President Putin’s legitimacy. This, in turn, increases the control that the Kremlin has over the Russian government. 

The reactions from Russian citizens and the world have been critical of this election. For Russian citizens, the ongoing war has raised the costs of living and increased fuel shortages. Furthermore, worldwide reactions have made statements on the election. For example, according to France’s Foreign Ministry, “The heightened repression of civil society and the opposition, the exclusion of several political parties, the growing restrictions on freedom of speech and the prohibition of independent media outlets undermine the Russian people’s ability to freely make and express their choices.”

Additionally, the European Parliament does not recognize the Russian State Duma as a legitimate representative of the Russian Federation because they did not see it as a “free nor fair” election. 

According to the New York Times, it is not easy to know when there is a major election occurring due to the lack of campaigning. Because of this lack of campaigning in Russia, people who are against the Russian government-affiliated parties may feel discouraged to vote in the first place. The push to support the government increased after the war ensued. Days before the election, President Putin made a statement saying that the choices of Russian citizens “will show once again that millions of people stand behind our fighters” and that “participating in the elections is our shared contribution to Russia’s victory.” 

Through the election, President Vladimir Putin has strengthened his legitimacy, and he is able to go forward with the continuation of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Furthermore, he has been able to create strong political centralization within Russia in favor of the Kremlin. Now with this momentum, he is able to further pursue his political agendas beyond Russia’s borders.