Ukraine declares Russian elections in occupied territories illegal

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has declared that the upcoming Russian parliamentary elections scheduled for next month in occupied Ukrainian territories will be invalid. The ministry stated that any vote organized by Russia on sovereign Ukrainian territory is illegal, and any resulting outcomes are “null and void and have no legal consequences.”

This announcement comes as a mission of observers from ex-Soviet states begins monitoring the election process to assess if procedures meet standards for being free and fair. Ukraine suggested that Russia is attempting to use the presence of these international observers to “legitimise the outcome” in territories it annexed following referendums denounced by Western nations.

Pro-Kremlin parties, including the United Russia Party, are expected to maintain dominance in the parliament following the vote. Meanwhile, the leader of Yabloko, Russia’s only registered party opposing the war, announced he will remain in the country to seek change despite the party's exclusion from the current election.