Putin's 'new elite': Dozens of Ukraine war veterans join Russia's State Duma

Dozens of Russian veterans of the war in Ukraine are set to become deputies in Russia's State Duma following the country's parliamentary elections. The ruling United Russia party initially said 86 veterans would win seats, a figure later corrected to 49 by Russian news agencies. United Russia secured a constitutional majority with roughly 57.83% of the vote, giving it about 330-335 of the 450 seats in the Duma. President Vladimir Putin has previously described war participants as Russia's "new elite" who should be involved in governing the country. The new deputies reportedly include individuals who enlisted for money and former prisoners promised pardons. Russian media reported last year that returning soldiers had killed or seriously injured over 1,000 people, with analysts noting the elections were an administrative procedure confirming loyalty to Putin rather than a genuine political contest.