United Russia party set to win election amid Ukrainian drone attacks

Russia’s United Russia party is set to win the tightly controlled parliamentary election, exit polls showed on Sunday, as a massive Ukrainian drone strike hit Moscow, killing three people on the final day of the vote. The attack unfolded while citizens cast ballots in a wartime election that many observers say is engineered to keep President Vladimir Putin’s party in power.

The election comes amid a year‑long war that has strained Russia’s economy and isolated it diplomatically. United Russia has dominated every vote since the early 2000s, and the 2024 poll is the first held after the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Opposition figures were barred from the ballot, and independent monitors were denied entry, raising doubts about the legitimacy of the result. The war has also driven a surge in patriotic sentiment, which the Kremlin hopes will translate into a strong showing for its party.

The drone raid, described by Moscow officials as the largest ever over the capital, involved dozens of unmanned aircraft that detonated over residential districts and a government building. Three civilians died, dozens were injured, and power outages affected large parts of the city. Ukrainian officials claimed the operation was a response to Russia’s “illegal” elections and a warning that the war can reach Russian soil. Kremlin spokespeople condemned the attack as terrorism, promising “swift and decisive” retaliation, while security services tightened checkpoints and increased patrols around polling stations.

The projected victory gives United Russia a near‑total majority in the State Duma, allowing it to pass any legislation without opposition. With the new parliament convening in October, lawmakers are expected to approve further war‑time measures, including higher defence spending and stricter controls on dissent. Internationally, the election and the drone strike underscore how the conflict is spilling over into Russia’s own territory, raising concerns about a possible escalation in attacks on Russian cities. The outcome also signals to Western governments that Moscow will continue to seek legitimacy through controlled elections, even as the war drags on.