Russia Holds Wartime Parliamentary Vote as Kremlin Tightens Its Grip

On September 18, Russian voters went to the polls for a parliamentary election that feels more like a referendum on the war than a normal democratic exercise. The country has been at war with Ukraine for four and a half years, and the conflict has crept into everyday life – from damaged oil refineries to long lines at the gas station.

United Russia, the Kremlin‑backed party, is all but guaranteed to retain its overwhelming majority in the State Duma. A handful of smaller, pro‑Putin parties will join the ranks, but the real story is what’s been kept off the ballot. Yabloko – the lone liberal party daring enough to question the war – was stripped of its candidacy after a court ruling pushed by nationalist rivals. Its leaders, including deputy chairman Maxim Kruglov, have already been sentenced to years behind bars, and other anti‑war voices have fled or been jailed.

For the first time, the vote also includes residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed after the 2022 invasion. Kyiv has condemned the move as illegal, calling the whole election a sham designed to legitimize the conflict.

The economic backdrop is grim. Ukrainian long‑range drones have hammered Russian oil refineries, sparking a fuel crisis that flared in June, eased briefly, and surged again in August. At the same time, attacks on warehouses belonging to online retailers like Wildberries and Ozon wiped out goods worth millions, leaving countless small sellers bankrupt. The result? A stagnant economy weighed down by soaring military spending, higher taxes and a ballooning budget deficit.

Public sentiment is wobbling, though not yet collapsing. The independent Levada Center still records Putin’s approval at around 76 % – down from a high of 87 % a year ago – and even some senior officials have voiced unease. Andrei Klepach, chief economist at state bank VEB.RF, warned of an imminent social crisis before being dismissed the next day.

Putin, however, remains steadfast. In a televised address he urged voters to “stand behind our fighters, united by shared values and love for the Motherland.” He brushed off the recent drone attacks as a “Pandora’s box” opened by Ukraine, insisting the Russian economy can endure the blows.

On the battlefield, Moscow has intensified missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, and increased its barrage on Black Sea ports to choke off grain exports – a critical source of revenue for Kyiv. The Kremlin’s rhetoric about a possible post‑election mobilization has sparked fresh anxiety, recalling the 2022 partial draft that sent hundreds of thousands of Russians fleeing abroad.

In short, the September vote is less about choosing legislators and more about rallying the population behind the war effort, while pruning any political weeds that might sprout dissent. As the ballots are counted, the Kremlin is hoping the numbers will provide a veneer of legitimacy for a conflict that has already taken a heavy toll on both the nation’s psyche and its economy.