United Russia secures projected supermajority in Russia’s parliamentary election

Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has secured more than 58 per cent of the vote and is projected to win more than three-quarters of seats in Russia’s State Duma, according to near-complete official results reported by Al Jazeera.

The three-day election was the first parliamentary vote since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It also included residents of four Ukrainian regions seized and illegally annexed by Moscow, a move condemned by Australia, Britain, Canada and two other countries.

Reported turnout was almost 60 per cent. United Russia has dominated Russian politics for 25 years, and the result is expected to strengthen Putin’s political position as the war continues.

Russia’s only registered anti-war party, Yabloko, won no national seats. It secured entry to a regional parliament in Novgorod after reportedly receiving just over 6 per cent of the vote there. The Communist Party won 13.8 per cent and 40 Duma seats, while LDPR won 25 seats and New People won 20.

The election was held without observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, while Yabloko and the Communist Party said some of their observers were denied access to polling stations. Critics described the vote as tightly controlled, while the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said dissent had been silenced.

The result has been presented by the Kremlin as a political gain, but opposition figures and analysts cited by Al Jazeera questioned whether it demonstrated broad support for the war. Concerns remain over mobilisation, repression and further escalation.