Russia lets anti‑war Yabloko party run in September Duma elections

Russia’s Central Election Commission approved the participation of the liberal Yabloko party – the only party openly condemning the war in Ukraine – in the State Duma elections slated for 18‑20 September. The commission unanimously cleared a slate of 269 candidates, and Yabloko will campaign under the slogan “For Peace and Freedom.”

Party leader Nikolai Rybakov was barred from standing as a candidate, so the party’s ballot is headed by Yaroslav Serbakov, who said voters now have an alternative choice despite the challenges ahead. Analysts suggest the Kremlin allowed Yabloko’s entry to provide a controlled outlet for discontent after United Russia’s polling slipped, but the party poses only a limited political threat.