Putin’s United Russia Secures Record Supermajority in Parliamentary Elections Amid Criticism

President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has achieved a record supermajority in tightly orchestrated parliamentary polls that excluded virtually any genuine opposition, according to near complete official results. Securing over 58 percent of the votes, United Russia—which has dominated Russian politics for 25 years—is on track to win more than three quarters of the seats in the lower house, the State Duma. The announcement was made on Monday following three days of voting that concluded on Sunday.

These elections marked the first parliamentary vote since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022 and the first to include residents of four Ukrainian regions seized and illegally annexed by Moscow later that year. Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Dmitry Medvedenko stated that the results, combined with a high voter turnout of nearly 60 percent, will likely be viewed by Moscow as public encouragement, particularly for its actions in Ukraine and the continuation of the war.

Ella Pamfilova, chair of the Central Electoral Commission, announced that Yabloko, the only registered anti-war party in Russia, failed to win any seats at the national level. The party had been removed from the ballot last month by Russia’s Supreme Court and participated with only a few dozen candidates in single-seat races. However, Yabloko did enter the regional parliament in western Russia’s Novgorod region, reporting on social media that it received about 12,000 votes—just over six percent—securing enough support to enter the regional legislature.

Both Yabloko and the Communist Party noted that many of their observers were turned away from polling stations. The Communist Party, which has criticized some aspects of government policy while carefully avoiding criticism of Putin, entered parliament with 13.8 percent of the vote, securing 40 Duma seats. Additionally, the nationalist LDPR party won 25 seats, and the New People party secured 20 seats.

Russia chose not to invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the Foreign Ministry accusing the organization of “double standards” over past criticisms. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons stated that this exclusion violated Russia’s commitments as a member state.

Many citizens appeared unsurprised by the outcomes. Moscow resident Tatyana remarked that United Russia winning came as a surprise to no one, while expressing a desire for the conflict in Ukraine to end soon through peaceful methods. Experts warn that the continuation of the war risks entrenching policies that increasingly impact average citizens. Tatyana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center noted in an online commentary that Putin will likely interpret the results as public backing for the war, despite a growing overall demand for peace, raising concerns over potential mobilization, repressions, and escalation.

Meanwhile, international criticism mounted as the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas dismissed the election, stating that the Kremlin silenced dissent, barred the only registered anti-war party, and blocked international monitors. Furthermore, a joint statement issued by five countries, including Australia, Britain, and Canada, condemned the elections in occupied Ukraine as a “sham” and part of a broader system of occupation.