In a move that has further strained relations between Russia and Ukraine, the Kremlin has claimed that the United Russia party, a staunch supporter of President Vladimir Putin, has won local elections in four Ukrainian regions presently occupied by Russia.
Ukraine and its allies have widely disregarded these contested elections as a farce.
Russia’s Claims of Electoral Victory in Ukrainian Territories Fuel Tensions with Ukraine
The region’s tensions have escalated due to the Kremlin’s claim to annex the eastern and southern territories despite not having complete military control over them.
According to data that Moscow and proxy officials have published, more than 70% of voters in each territory in these war-torn areas—where Ukraine is gradually regaining control—supported United Russia.
The contested elections coincide with elections throughout Russia, setting the stage for presidential elections next year that are anticipated to extend Putin’s rule until at least 2030.
With opposition figures in exile or prison and Moscow’s crackdown on criticism of its actions in Ukraine, Russia’s political landscape has become more constrained.
In the days leading up to the elections, authorities in the occupied territories set up mobile polling stations despite security concerns, including an alleged assault by a Ukrainian drone on a polling station in Zaporizhzhia.
In Donetsk, which separatists have partially controlled since 2014, election officials alleged that Ukrainian shelling had caused injuries.
Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, also held elections, exacerbating regional tensions. The Ukrainian security services intend to pursue collaborators in the election’s organization.
Voters in Rostov-on-Don, a city close to Ukraine’s border recently under drone attack, were extremely concerned about the ongoing conflict.
Numerous individuals desired peace and an end to the protracted conflict.
Meanwhile, campaign posters were noticeably scarce in Moscow, where concurrent mayoral elections were taking place.
According to senior election officials, incumbent Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a Kremlin loyalist in office since 2010, won a convincing re-election.
During his 13-year tenure, Sobyanin has overseen numerous urban development initiatives that have altered the skyline of Moscow.
Anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny, one of Sobyanin’s notable opponents in the past, disregarded the vote from his prison cell.
In 2020, Navalny was imprisoned on old fraud charges, which his allies contend were a pretext to limit his political activities.
Despite the limited campaign presence in Moscow, residents praised Sobyanin for modernizing the city, with many citing the positive changes they’ve observed over the past few years.
However, increased Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, including incidents that targeted the Kremlin and the city’s financial district, have also stood out during Sobyanin’s administration.
In regions bordering Ukraine, where assaults have occurred more frequently, voting was conducted with increased security.
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Electoral Delays in Shebekino, Competitive Governor Race in Khakassia
Due to ongoing bombardment and the imposition of high alert status, the electoral commission postponed the vote in Shebekino, a district in the Belgorod region.
In the remote Siberian region of Khakassia, where Governor Valentin Konovalov ran for re-election, one of the few competitive contests in Russia occurred.
After a wave of rare demonstrations in the sparsely populated region in 2018, the communist candidate Konovalov was elected.
He initially competed against Sergei Sokol, a Moscow-backed candidate who presented himself as a decorated hero who had fought in Ukraine.
However, Sokol withdrew at the last minute due to health concerns, leaving Konovalov as one of the few non-Kremlin-backed regional leaders still in office.
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