Russian Parliamentary Elections Begin in Far East Amid War with Ukraine

Voting commenced at dawn on Friday in Russia’s Far Eastern regions, launching a three-day nationwide ballot to elect all 450 members of the State Duma. The process will conclude at 18:00 GMT on Sunday.

The Kamchatka and Chukotka peninsulas—both bordering the Pacific Ocean—are the first of Russia’s 11 time zones to begin voting. These regions mark the earliest start of the electoral cycle across the country.

Electoral Landscape Under Wartime Conditions

This is the first parliamentary election in Russia since Moscow launched its war against Ukraine in February 2022—a conflict that has, since then, resulted in hundreds of thousands of fatalities. The war’s domestic repercussions are affecting living standards across Russia more severely this year than at any previous point since hostilities began.

Only political parties explicitly supportive of President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine were permitted to register candidates. According to Agence France-Presse, the approved participants include the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, the conservative A Just Russia party, and the liberal New People party.

Voting in Occupied Ukrainian Territories

The vote is also being conducted in Ukrainian territories currently under Russian occupation. United Russia, led by Putin, is widely anticipated to win the election.

Czech President Warns of Escalation Risk

Czech President Petr Pavel has cautioned that Putin may intensify the war following the conclusion of the Russian parliamentary elections.