MOSCOW : Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has secured a record 355 seats in the country’s parliamentary election, according to preliminary results announced by election officials on Monday.
The party’s latest tally surpasses its previous record of 343 seats, set in 2016, and strengthens its constitutional majority in the 450-member State Duma. The expanded majority gives United Russia greater parliamentary leverage on issues including constitutional amendments.
Voting was held over three days, with turnout exceeding 59 percent, according to Ella Pamfilova, head of Russia’s Central Election Commission. Election authorities described the participation rate as significant.
The election was the first parliamentary vote in Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Kremlin presented the result as evidence of strong public support for Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the outcome demonstrated a high level of unity around the Russian president.
However, the election was also met with criticism. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that the vote took place in a tightly controlled political environment, with several political forces critical of the Kremlin and the war in Ukraine unable to participate at the national level.
Yabloko, widely regarded as Russia’s only registered anti-war party, was unable to contest the election nationally, although some of its candidates participated in regional elections.
Meanwhile, Russia said Ukraine launched major drone attacks in several parts of the country on the final day of voting. Russian officials said two people were killed and a fire broke out at an oil refinery. Ukraine’s side has not been represented in the report as independently confirming those Russian claims.
The preliminary results further consolidate United Russia’s dominance of Russia’s national political system, which the party has maintained for more than two decades.
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