Russian elections in occupied Ukrainian territories

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the upcoming autumn parliamentary elections, scheduled for September 18–20, will include residents of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Putin stated the State Duma elections will involve selecting 225 deputies through single-member constituencies and 225 through party lists, alongside thousands of local and regional elections.

In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry declared that these elections in occupied territories are illegal. The ministry asserted that any vote organized by Russia on sovereign Ukrainian territory is “null and void and have no legal consequences.” Ukraine expressed concern that Russia may use international observers from ex-Soviet states to “legitimise the outcome” of the vote in territories annexed following previously denounced referendums.

As the elections approach, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has denounced the process as a “farce,” accusing the Russian regime of systematically dismantling democracy and suppressing freedom of expression. Sybiha also noted that independent observers from the OSCE have been excluded from the process.

The elections will determine the 450 seats in the State Duma. The ruling party, United Russia, currently holds 315 seats and aims to maintain a constitutional majority. While the Kremlin has set targets for support in various regions, the political landscape remains constrained; the Yabloko party, which advocates for peace and negotiations, has been excluded from the process.