Claims of United Russia Party Victory in Ukrainian Regions Occupied by Russia Raises Controversy
Russia claimed on Sunday that the United Russia party, a staunch supporter of President Vladimir Putin, had emerged as the winner in local ballots held in four Ukrainian regions that are currently occupied by Russia. The Kremlin has previously declared the annexation of these eastern and southern territories, despite not having complete military control over them. However, Ukraine and its allies have dismissed these elections as a sham. According to data released by Moscow and proxy officials, voters in these war-battered territories, where Ukraine is attempting to regain control, overwhelmingly backed the United Russia party, with more than 70 percent of the vote in each territory. These polls, held in conjunction with elections across Russia, are seen as a precursor to next year’s presidential elections, which are expected to prolong Putin’s rule until at least 2030.
Controversial Elections Amidst Repression and Detention of Critics
President Putin’s opponents, many of whom are either in exile or imprisoned, have been silenced as Moscow has criminalized criticism of its actions in Ukraine. Thousands of individuals have been detained for speaking out against the government. Authorities set up mobile polling booths well in advance of the elections in the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The Kremlin claimed that a polling station in Donetsk was attacked by a Ukrainian drone. In Donetsk, which has been partially controlled by separatists since 2014, Kremlin-installed authorities reported that election officials had been injured due to Ukrainian shelling. Voting was also taking place in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukrainian security services have compiled a list of “collaborators” involved in organizing the voting and have vowed retribution against them.
Elections in Russia’s Capital and Border Regions
In Rostov-on-Don, a city in southwest Russia near the Ukrainian border that was recently attacked by drones, the conflict in Ukraine has become a major concern for voters. Many expressed their desire to live in peace with their families and voiced concerns solely about the ongoing war. In Moscow, where a mayoral vote was also taking place, there were few campaign posters on display. The incumbent mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, a Siberian-born Kremlin loyalist who has held the position since 2010, won a convincing re-election according to a senior election official. Throughout his tenure, Sobyanin has overseen the transformation of Moscow’s skyline through several mega-projects. In 2013, he narrowly escaped defeat by anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, who is currently behind bars after being jailed in 2020 on old fraud charges that his allies believe were a pretext to end his political work. Sobyanin surpassed the grandson of a veteran Communist politician and a little-known candidate from a newly formed party called “New People” in the mayoral race. Moscow residents praised Sobyanin for his efforts in modernizing the city and transforming it for the better, particularly amidst the ongoing conflict.
Voting Precautions in Regions Bordering Ukraine
Ahead of the elections, there have been increasing Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, some of which have targeted the Kremlin and even crashed into the capital’s iconic financial district. As a result, additional security measures have been implemented in regions that border Ukraine and have experienced frequent attacks. Ella Pamfilova, the chief of the electoral commission, announced that voting in Shebekino, a district in the Belgorod region that has been subjected to shelling, has been postponed due to the high alert status in the area.
Highly Contested Race in Khakassia
Observers have identified one of the few competitive races in Russia’s 11 time zones: the election in the remote mountainous region of Khakassia in Siberia. Governor Valentin Konovalov, who is seeking re-election, defeated a Kremlin-backed candidate in 2018 after rare protests erupted. This year, he faced Moscow-backed candidate Sergei Sokol, who portrayed himself as a Kremlin-decorated “hero” for his involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. However, Sokol withdrew from the race at the last minute, citing health reasons. Konovalov remains one of the few regional leaders who is not supported by the Kremlin and continues to hold office.