Russia Holds Parliamentary Elections in Occupied Ukraine Amid International Condemnation

Russia began its State Duma elections on Friday, including in occupied areas of Ukraine, in a move widely condemned by international observers. The elections, the first since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, are seen by critics as an attempt by Moscow to create an illusion of popular support for its actions and the annexation of eastern Ukrainian territories. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has not been invited to monitor the elections, a decision that OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons stated "seriously breaches its international commitments and shows a worrying disregard for democratic standards."

Election in Annexed Territories

Following the 2022 invasion, Russia unilaterally annexed parts of Ukrainian territory in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. In 2023, legislation was signed allowing elections to take place in these occupied regions. Ukraine and the international community do not recognize Russian sovereignty over these areas. According to the Associated Press, nine parties supportive of President Vladimir Putin are on the ballot, including his own United Russia party.

Critics argue that these elections are a tool for Putin to promote his narrative that the war and annexations are legitimate. Ivana Stradner, who studies Russian information security and influence operations, noted that as Russia's battlefield momentum stalls and the costs of war mount, Putin seeks political legitimacy through these elections. "The State Duma elections give the Kremlin a chance to manufacture the appearance of public support… not only for United Russia, but for continuing Putin’s aggression in Ukraine," Stradner told Fox News Digital. "When the battlefield gets harder to sell, the ballot box becomes another way to sell the war."

Accusations of Intimidation and Lack of Freedom

Reports suggest that elections in Russia, and by extension in the occupied territories, are conducted under a climate of fear and manipulation. Jaroslava Barbieri, a research fellow at the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House, described the situation as a "total regime of terror." During the 2024 presidential elections in the occupied territories, residents were reportedly coerced into obtaining Russian passports to be included in voter lists, with election officials escorted by soldiers carrying ballot boxes door-to-door. Barbieri stated, "This is about direct intimidation, and it is a flagrant violation of international law."

Lev Shlosberg, a vocal critic of the war and leader of the opposition Yabloko Party, was sentenced to over 11 years in a penal colony for criticizing the war. Prior to his sentencing, Russia's Supreme Court banned his party from participating in the current Duma elections. Keti Korkiya from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Russia Program suggested that while Russians may symbolically support Putin and the war, they are unwilling to bear personal or economic costs, which explains the absence of a new wave of mobilization.

International and Ukrainian Response

Volodymyr Ariev, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, urged residents in occupied territories to boycott the elections, calling them illegal and a breach of international law. "Ukraine will never recognize any person 'elected' as a Member of Parliament in the temporarily occupied territories," Ariev told Fox News Digital. He advised those living in the occupied east to leave their homes on election days to avoid coercion.

President Putin, however, stated in August that the Duma elections would reaffirm Russia's stability on the world stage and highlight the "maturity" of Russia’s political system and its resilience. Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) implemented new regulations, including early and at-home voting, citing security concerns to prevent large gatherings that could be targeted by Ukrainian attacks. Preparations are also underway for overseas voting at Russian embassies and consulates in 152 countries.

Stradner concluded that "Apparently, in Putin’s version of democracy, the voters get to choose… just not the result." The three days of voting are scheduled to conclude on September 20.