Russia Faces Massive Cyberattacks on Voting Systems During Second Day of Parliamentary Elections

Russian authorities have reported severe disruptions to the country’s voting systems and communication lines as a tightly controlled three-day-long parliamentary election entered its second day. Moscow’s electronic voting system faced a powerful cyberattack overnight between Friday and Saturday, which has continued according to reports from the Interfax news agency.

Ella Pamfilova, head of the Russian Central Election Commission, informed reporters on Saturday morning that the Moscow system experienced continuous and intense attacks throughout the night. Despite the large-scale nature of the incident, Pamfilova assured that the electronic voting system remains fully operational, though she refrained from providing specifics regarding the attack's nature or origin.

The ongoing election determines all 450 seats in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house, and concludes on Sunday at 18:00 GMT. Marking the first State Duma election since the launch of the full-scale Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, the pro-Putin United Russia party is widely expected to maintain its dominance amid a heavily restricted political landscape. Most antiwar candidates faced exclusion prior to the ballot after the Supreme Court ruled that the liberal Yabloko party violated electoral rules—allegations the party denies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the electoral process, a claim that Kyiv has not directly addressed while dismissing the election as a farce. Additionally, Moscow's mayor reported that over 350 Ukrainian drones targeted the Russian capital on Friday morning. Nationwide voter turnout reached 32.58 percent by Saturday afternoon, based on data provided by the Central Election Commission and state media.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that citizens are demonstrating high participation in the State Duma elections despite ongoing cyber challenges and physical threats, reflecting a unified response to the conflict.