Overview
- Russians began a three-day State Duma election on Friday that runs through Sunday and uses electronic ballots to boost turnout and speed results.
- The ruling United Russia party is widely expected to keep dominant control of the 450-seat lower house in a tightly managed race.
- The liberal Yabloko party was removed from the national party-list in August and several anti-war figures were jailed in the run-up to the vote, narrowing legal protest options inside Russia.
- Authorities reported about 30% turnout by late Friday including online votes and said isolated polling disruptions and drone threats forced some station moves and closures.
- The EU, Kyiv and other governments condemned voting in Russia-held Ukrainian regions as illegal and have said they will not recognise results, which Moscow will likely use to claim a wartime mandate.