Ukraine launched more than 350 drones towards Moscow and other Russian regions on Friday as Russia opened its first parliamentary elections since the war began. The three-day vote will fill all 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said most of the drones aimed at the capital were destroyed at an outer defensive perimeter, including 64 as they approached the city. Ukraine also reported strikes on an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in Rostov.
What the election is expected to show
President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party is expected to win the most seats after dominating Russian politics since 2000. The margin of victory and the performance of the other registered parties are being closely watched as possible indicators of public support and frustration over the war.
Protests are banned and no antiwar candidates are standing. Kyiv has sought to make the conflict more visible to Russians through repeated attacks on energy and economic infrastructure, which it says have caused billions of rubles in damage.
Key points
- Voting began in Kamchatka and Chukotka, the first of Russia’s 11 time zones to open polls.
- The ballot runs until 18:00 GMT on Sunday.
- Russia also organised voting in occupied parts of Ukraine.
- Yabloko, the only party opposing the war, was barred from the ballot in August.
Strikes reported by both sides
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the overnight attacks also hit the Yaroslavl oil refinery and damaged military aircraft and helicopters at an airfield in Rostov. He also reported results in the Black Sea without providing details.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces struck a logistics hub belonging to Nova Poshta near Odesa and a cargo vessel in the nearby port of Chornomorsk, describing both as military targets. A Russian drone attack in the Kyiv region injured five people, including three children, according to regional Governor Tymur Tkachenko. Read the context: Deadly Russian attack near Odesa and Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow escalate conflict.
Russia said on the previous day that it had targeted three drone-manufacturing facilities and the De Novo data centre near Kyiv, which it described as a major facility supporting military server equipment. Both sides say they do not target civilians, although civilian deaths have been reported deep inside Russia and Ukraine.
What happens next
Voting continues across Russia until 18:00 GMT on Sunday, after which the election result and the seat totals for the participating parties will be watched closely.
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