United Russia Set for Record Parliament Majority in First Wartime Elections

Sep. 21, 2026 Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other Russian officials celebrate United Russia's electoral victory. Sputnik / Yekaterina Shtukina / Reuters Russia’s ruling party, United Russia, is on track to secure a record number of seats in the lower-house State Duma following the country's first parliamentary elections since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, preliminary results showed Monday. With 95% of the ballots counted, Central Election Commission (CEC) chief Ella Pamfilova announced that United Russia received 57.83% of the party-list vote while dominating single-member districts, where its candidates were leading in 208 of 225 constituencies. Pamfilova said United Russia stands to capture around 355 seats in the 450-seat State Duma — surpassing its previous record of 343 seats set in 2016 and comfortably maintaining its constitutional supermajority. Four other parties cleared the threshold to enter parliament: the Communist Party with 40 seats, the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) with 25, New People with 20 and A Just Russia with four. Turnout reached nearly 60%, the highest for parliamentary elections since 2003, according to the newspaper Kommersant. Independent analysts described the vote — which President Vladimir Putin framed as a test of public support for the war effort — as the most uncompetitive in modern Russian history. At least 86 Ukraine war veterans are expected to gain seats in the latest convocation of the State Duma. Putin has touted veterans-turned-politicians as Russia’s “new elite.” The liberal Yabloko party, the only party running on an anti-war platform, failed to secure any seat in single-member constituencies. In August, Russia’s Supreme Court blocked Yabloko from the party-list ballot, and its candidates running in single-member districts also faced exclusion and pressure from the authorities. In concurrent regional gubernatorial races, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov was re-elected with an official 99.85% of the vote. The CEC said final official election results will be released by Friday at the earliest. Read more about: United Russia , State Duma , Elections Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Pro-Kremlin Party on Track for Majority After Crackdown In the last elections to the lower house State Duma in 2016, United Russia received 54.2% of the vote. Russia’s Tame Opposition Admits No Chance of Change in Parliamentary Vote Despite a widening crackdown, members of the “systemic opposition” hope staying in politics might allow them to influence the country’s future. In Small-City Russia, Elections Feel Irrelevant For Local Business Owners Saransk’s entrepreneurs are divided on whether the government is on their side, but discontent is unlikely to be reflected in the coming Duma vote. Putin Promises Russians Billions in Spending Ahead of Polls The ruling, pro-Kremlin United Russia party aims to overcome widespread unpopularity and keep its majority in the State Duma.