For the first time, Russia’s State Duma election is being conducted in areas it seized from Ukraine during its full‑scale invasion that began more than four years ago. The Kremlin says the newly incorporated “new regions” – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – contain over 3.5 million voters who will cast ballots alongside the rest of the Russian electorate.
Extended voting period and security measures
The nationwide vote began on Friday and will run through Sunday, but voting in the occupied territories started at the end of August and will continue longer for “security reasons,” according to Russian officials. At a polling station in the Russian‑held part of Donetsk, voters placed their ballots in a box while an armed Russian soldier stood nearby, observing the process.
President Putin’s message
In a Wednesday address, President Vladimir Putin stressed the significance of the vote, describing it as an opportunity for residents of the annexed regions to participate in the Duma “for the first time since their reunification with Russia.” He also noted that Russian soldiers engaged in combat will be voting, framing the election as a demonstration of national unity and resolve.
International and Ukrainian response
Ukraine’s government condemned the election as illegal and urged foreign governments and international bodies not to recognize the results. Kyiv warned that participation in organizing the vote could lead to criminal liability for Ukrainians.
A coalition of nine Ukrainian human‑rights groups called on residents of the occupied territories to stay away from the polls, describing the elections as an attempt to legitimize Russia’s occupation and annexation. European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand called the vote “another blatant violation of international law” and said the EU will never recognize the elections or their outcomes.
Allegations of coercion
Human‑rights activist Violeta Artemchuk, coordinator of the Donbas SOS group, said local election commissions, escorted by Russian troops, are going house‑to‑house to force people to vote. She reported that Moscow‑appointed authorities are pressuring public‑sector workers with threats of dismissal and making pensions or other social payments contingent on participation.
Artemchuk warned that a disabled person or pensioner who relies on social assistance and refuses to vote could be labeled “disloyal” and stripped of benefits or humanitarian aid. Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko called the elections “a farce” and said they are being held “at gunpoint,” mocking democratic principles.
Context of the annexations
The four regions were annexed by Russia in September 2022, though much of the territory remains contested and is not fully under Moscow’s control. The international community has not recognized the annexations, and the United Nations continues to consider the areas part of Ukraine.
Voting is also taking place in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, further underscoring Moscow’s strategy of using electoral processes to cement its claims over occupied lands.
Implications
The election is intended to showcase public support for the war and solidify the Kremlin’s political dominance. By extending the vote to the occupied territories, Russia seeks to portray the annexations as legitimate and to demonstrate a united front against what it calls external aggression.
Critics argue that the presence of armed soldiers at polling stations, the reported coercion of residents, and the lack of independent monitoring render the election neither free nor fair. The outcome is unlikely to be recognized by Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, or other allies, and it may further deepen diplomatic tensions.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
