Kremlin Party Sweeps Russian Parliament as Dissent is Marginalized

MOSCOW — Near-complete official election results released by the Central Election Commission show that the pro-Putin ruling "United Russia" party has achieved a sweeping victory in the country's first national legislative election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Securing a record 355 seats out of the 450-seat State Duma, the ruling party successfully surpassed its previous 2016 milestone of 343 seats to lock down a constitutional majority.

The commanding win further solidifies the Kremlin's tight grip on Russia's legislative branch. In stark contrast, the anti-war Yabloko party—which was largely barred from the nationwide proportional ballot by the Supreme Court weeks prior—was left with only a tiny regional foothold, managing to scrape together a presence in just a single regional parliament in Novgorod after securing a narrow slice of the vote.

The outcome underscores the heavily controlled political landscape surrounding the vote, where anti-war opposition faces severe restrictions, legal disqualifications, and systemic marginalization. Other systemic opposition groups permitted to run, such as the Communist Party, secured 40 seats, while the nationalist LDPR and New People parties claimed 25 and 20 seats respectively. Electoral officials reported a turnout of over 59 percent, though the poll took place against the backdrop of intense electronic voting controversies and extensive Ukrainian drone strikes targeting capital infrastructure.