Russia’s parliamentary vote reaches final day under drone attack
A mass Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia, including Moscow, as President Vladimir Putin cast the election as a test of support for the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s three-day State Duma election entered its final day on Sunday under the shadow of a large Ukrainian drone attack targeting Moscow and other parts of the country.
Russian officials gave differing accounts of the scale of the barrage. The Defence Ministry said 1,100 Ukrainian drones had been shot down nationwide, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 1,600 had been intercepted, including 450 directed towards the capital.
Authorities reported damage to a facility at the Moscow oil refinery and a residential building. Russian officials said at least two people were killed and six injured in the Moscow region. The claims have not been independently verified.
Sobyanin accused Ukraine of seeking to disrupt the election, but that allegation was not independently established. Temporary restrictions were imposed at Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports before being lifted, although delays were expected to continue.
The vote is expected to leave the ruling United Russia party dominant. It is the first parliamentary election since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and includes residents of Russia’s illegally annexed Ukrainian territories.
Putin has framed the election as a measure of support for his policies and the war. Critics describe Russia’s political system as intolerant of dissent, complicating the Kremlin’s presentation of the result as evidence of public backing.
