Moscow: Russia began voting on Friday in a three day parliamentary election, the first election for the State Duma since the country launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The election will determine all 450 seats in Russia's lower house of parliament. Voting will continue until Sunday, with initial and partial results expected after polling stations close and near complete results expected on Monday.
President Vladimir Putin has presented the election as a demonstration of national unity and support for Russia's war effort. In an address before voting began, he urged Russians to take part and said their participation would demonstrate resolve in the face of external pressure.
The ruling United Russia party, which supports Putin, is widely expected to retain its dominant position in the State Duma. The party won more than two thirds of the seats in the previous parliamentary election in 2021.
The political environment is markedly different from that election. Most prominent anti war candidates have been prevented from competing, while some opposition politicians and critics of the government have faced imprisonment, restrictions or exile.
The liberal Yabloko party, which opposes Russia's war in Ukraine and calls for a ceasefire, was barred from the federal party list by Russia's Supreme Court in August. Some Yabloko candidates are still contesting individual constituency seats.
Other major parties contesting seats include the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, A Just Russia and New People. These parties have parliamentary representation and broadly support the government's position on the war, although they differ on some domestic and economic issues.
Russian voters will cast two ballots for the State Duma. Half of the 450 seats will be filled through party lists, while the other 225 seats will be contested in individual constituencies.
Voting is taking place over three days, with electronic voting also available to Russia's roughly 111 million eligible voters.
Russia is also holding voting in Crimea and in parts of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson that it controls. Russia claims these territories as part of its territory, but Ukraine and most governments do not recognise the annexations.
Ukraine has condemned the voting in the occupied territories and has urged foreign governments and international organisations not to recognise the results.
The Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe has criticised Russia's decision not to invite its election observers, saying the move is inconsistent with its international commitments.
The election is taking place as Russia's wartime economy faces high interest rates, labour shortages, Western sanctions and disruptions to fuel supplies. Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil facilities and other infrastructure have also contributed to fuel disruptions in some parts of the country.
Nearly 200 candidates taking part in the election are reported to have served in Russia's war in Ukraine.
The election is being watched for turnout, the performance of smaller parties and the final distribution of seats.
The results will be closely watched for what they may indicate about political sentiment inside Russia after more than four years of war. However, the restricted political environment and the limited presence of anti war candidates mean that the election is taking place under conditions that differ significantly from those of previous parliamentary contests.