Putin’s Party Secures Majority in Russia Election Amid Cyberattacks and Drone Strikes

POLICY WIRE — Moscow, Russia — Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party secured a dominant majority in the country’s parliamentary elections, despite widespread cyberattacks and Ukrainian drone strikes that targeted key infrastructure on the final day of voting.

The election, which determined all 450 seats in the State Duma, marked the first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. No anti-war parties were allowed to compete, with the Supreme Court removing Yabloko from the ballot just weeks before the vote.

State media reported that United Russia received 57.5% of the vote after 71% of ballots were counted, with the Communist Party and LDPR nationalists trailing at 14% and 8.7%, respectively. The ruling party is expected to maintain its two-thirds majority, giving it control over constitutional amendments.

Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow and surrounding areas on Sunday, damaging an oil refinery and killing two people. Russian officials vowed to intensify strikes on Kyiv in response, accusing Ukrainian forces of trying to undermine the election. The assault involved around 1,600 drones, with 450 targeting the capital.

Russian electoral officials confirmed a wave of cyberattacks aimed at disrupting the voting process, with over 1,000 DDoS attacks recorded against election infrastructure. Ella Pamfilova, chair of the Central Election Commission, said the attacks were carried out by highly professional, well-coordinated groups using artificial intelligence tools.

Despite the challenges, turnout was seen as a potential indicator of public sentiment toward the war in Ukraine. Anti-war activists, including supporters of Alexei Navalny, urged voters to cast their ballots, though many opposition figures have been exiled or imprisoned. In Berlin and London, protesters gathered outside Russian embassies to condemn the election.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)