Putin Says Wartime Election Shows Public Support for Kremlin Policies

President Vladimir Putin said Russia's first wartime parliamentary election, which strengthened the Kremlin's legislative control, showed public support for his policies. United Russia is set to win a record three-fourths of State Duma seats. With over 97% of votes counted, turnout exceeded 59%, the highest in over a decade. The vote excluded genuine opposition and included illegally annexed Ukrainian regions, amid Ukrainian drone attacks that killed three people near Moscow. The election was the first since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The liberal Yabloko party, which criticized the war, was removed from the ballot, and no opposition candidates won seats.