Russia kicks off voting in first parliamentary election since Ukraine war began

Local residents gather at a mobile polling station during early voting in Russia's parliamentary election Russians began voting on Friday in a three-day parliamentary election that will determine all 450 seats in the State Duma (lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia), the first such election since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Polling stations opened first in Russia’s Far East, including Kamchatka and Chukotka, with voting continuing across the country until Sunday. President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party is widely expected to retain its dominant position in the lower house.The election is taking place as the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, with Russian authorities facing growing economic pressure and Ukrainian drone attacks reaching deeper into Russian territory. The Kremlin has also maintained tight restrictions on anti-war political activity.Putin urged Russians to vote, portraying participation as a demonstration of national unity and support for Russian troops.“Your choice and your will will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our soldiers, that we are a united people bound together by shared va...