Russia’s Ruling Party Projected to Win Parliamentary Wartime Election: Initial Results

Russia’s ruling United Russia party was on course on Sept. 20 to keep control of parliament in the country’s wartime election, according to preliminary results that were still being counted.

Early data showed that United Russia was comfortably ahead with 57.5 percent of the party-list vote, trailed by other parties including the Communists, the ultra-nationalist LDPR, the New People party, and the Just Russia party.

The likely win for United Russia came after Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on the Russian capital over the weekend.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that Russian air defenses repelled the largest Ukrainian drone attack targeting Moscow since the war began, while acknowledging some drones successfully targeted a Moscow oil refinery, as Russians participated in their first parliamentary elections since the invasion of Ukraine.

More than 1,600 drones were intercepted beginning Saturday, including about 450 headed toward Moscow, Sobyanin said on social media.

Several drones reached a Moscow oil refinery, while one struck a residential building.

The official alleged that the unprecedented attack was intended to disrupt elections.

“The enemy failed,” the mayor said, thanking Russian air defense forces for their response.

Russians are electing members of the State Duma, legislative assemblies, governors of several regions, and members of municipal bodies from Sept. 18–20.

In an address before the election on Sept. 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin directly connected voting with Russia’s war effort, saying the results would demonstrate that millions of Russians supported the country’s troops. He called participation “our joint contribution to Russia’s victory” and a response to those he accused of seeking to weaken the country.

Moscow regional Gov. Andrei Vorobyov reported on social media on Sept. 20 that at least three people had died in the drone attacks. Vorobyov said 20 people were injured in the attacks on Saturday.

Vorobyov posted a photo of what he said was a 15-year-old girl lying in a hospital bed. Vorobyov said that the girl and her 19-year-old brother were left as orphans as both of their parents died in the attacks.

The Moscow oil refinery was struck days after President Donald Trump publicly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian diesel facilities, saying the strikes were contributing to global fuel shortages.

“Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump said during a visit to Ireland on Sept. 13.

“Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel because he’s causing a shortage of diesel. This isn’t done by the Middle East; this is done by what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine.”

Trump said on Sept. 14 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop targeting each country’s energy facilities.

“Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise! The World’s Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran,” Trump said in a Sept. 14 Truth Social post.

According to the American Automobile Association, the cost of diesel in the U.S. has increased from $3.70 a year ago to $6.50 as of Sept. 20.