United Russia's wartime landslide

What's happened

Russian election officials have released returns showing United Russia has won a record super‑majority in the State Duma, taking roughly 349–355 of 450 seats after a three‑day vote that included polling in occupied Ukrainian territories. Turnout has been reported near 57–60% and the vote occurred against heavy Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory.

What's behind the headline?

What the result means

• United Russia has consolidated legislative control and will be able to pass major laws with little resistance. This will strengthen Kremlin control over domestic policy and the legal framework for the war effort.

How the vote worked

• Voting took place over three days and included online ballots in some regions, which has increased official turnout figures to about 57–60%. The ballot included residents of Crimea and four occupied Ukrainian regions that Kyiv has denounced as illegal.

The political mechanics

• The Kremlin has excluded meaningful opposition: the anti‑war Yabloko party was removed from the party list and many opposition figures faced disqualification or repression. Systemic opposition parties that remain in the Duma will vote in line with United Russia.

Security backdrop and consequences

• The election has been held during a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian territory, including large attacks on Moscow that officials say involved hundreds to over a thousand drones. Russian authorities have reported thousands of drones downed and some civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.

What will follow

• The new Duma will seat its first session this week. With a super‑majority, the legislature will be able to approve measures that intensify mobilisation, expand defence spending and tighten internal security. Those steps will increase political and social pressure inside Russia and will further reduce channels for dissent.

Forecast

• Expect a more centralised legislative agenda that will support the Kremlin’s wartime priorities. International condemnation of the vote — driven by the inclusion of occupied territories and limits on observers — will persist and will further isolate Russia diplomatically.

How we got here

Russia has held a three‑day parliamentary election — the first since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine — that included residents of occupied Ukrainian regions and allowed expanded online voting. Authorities barred the main anti‑war party, and media and electoral space have been tightly controlled.

Our analysis

The Central Election Commission figures appear across multiple outlets. The Associated Press reported that "United Russia... will get more than three‑quarters of the seats" and cited CEC returns placing the party at roughly 349 seats and about 58% of the party vote (AP News, 25 Sep). The Moscow Times published CEC chair Ella Pamfilova's count that United Russia had 349 seats and quoted her turnout figure and praise for veterans entering the Duma (The Moscow Times, 25 Sep). AP and The Moscow Times both noted that voting included residents of four Ukrainian regions and Crimea and that Kyiv called that illegal (AP News, 25 Sep; The Moscow Times, 25 Sep). Independent and international outlets emphasised the constrained political field. Al Jazeera recorded that "Yabloko... did not win any seats at the national level" after being removed from the ballot and quoted Pamfilova’s announcement that opposition options were limited (Al Jazeera, 21 Sep). The Guardian reported the party reached a record 355 seats in preliminary counts and quoted Kremlin officials framing the result as public support for Putin and the war (The Guardian, 21 Sep). BBC coverage noted the lack of surprise at the outcome and the broader wartime context, stressing that the only anti‑war party had been excluded (BBC Business, 21 Sep). On the security angle, AP and France 24 described large Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow during the vote, with AP saying authorities reported downing over 1,100 drones and France 24 reporting up to 1,600 in one account; both said those strikes damaged infrastructure and caused civilian casualties (AP News, 25 Sep; France 24, 21 Sep). These reports link the timing of the strikes to Kremlin messaging that the vote was a show of support for troops. Taken together, the reporting shows consistent official results and turnout figures across state and international outlets, while non‑Russian and independent sources emphasise electoral restrictions, the inclusion of occupied territories and the wartime security contex

Go deeper

• How will the Duma's super‑majority change Russian domestic law this session?
• What does the exclusion of Yabloko mean for anti‑war political activity inside Russia?

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