Ukraine Moscow drone attack claims dominated the final day of Russia’s parliamentary election on Sunday after Moscow officials described the strikes as the biggest yet against the capital.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow and the surrounding region as Russians went to the polls. Russian authorities said two people died in the Moscow region. Two more people were reported killed in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, including an election official.
The strikes also damaged part of the Moscow oil refinery, a facility that Ukraine has targeted before. Russian authorities reported that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted since Saturday, including about 450 headed toward Moscow.
Moscow Says Attack Was Meant to Disrupt Vote
Sobyanin accused Ukraine of trying to interfere with the election.
He said the attack was planned to disrupt voting. However, he also claimed that Russian air defenses had stopped the attempt.
Ukraine has not formally claimed responsibility for the Moscow strikes, according to Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has previously said long-range Ukrainian strikes have targeted Russian military and energy infrastructure.
The timing nevertheless drew attention because Sunday marked the final day of Russia’s three-day parliamentary election.
Russia Holds First Wartime Parliamentary Election
The State Duma election is the first parliamentary vote since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The ruling United Russia party is expected to retain its dominant position in the 450-seat parliament. The party already won more than two-thirds of the seats in the 2021 election.
The Kremlin has presented the election as an opportunity for Russians to demonstrate support for the country and its troops. President Vladimir Putin also urged voters to show unity in a televised address before the election.
At the same time, most anti-war candidates were barred from competing. The liberal Yabloko party was allowed to participate, but several of its prominent figures faced legal pressure before the vote.
Cyberattacks Add to Election Tensions
The election also faced reported cyber problems.
Russian authorities said online voting systems and communications infrastructure came under attack on Saturday, the second day of voting. The authorities did not publicly establish who was responsible.
Despite those incidents, Russian election officials said voting continued across the country.
Turnout passed 50% by early Sunday afternoon in Moscow, according to figures cited by Interfax.
Meanwhile, analysts have suggested that voter frustration over the war and economic pressure could affect support for parties allowed to compete against United Russia.
Kremlin Faces Pressure Over War
The election comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues into its fifth year.
The Kremlin describes the conflict as a necessary military operation and says national unity is essential. Russian officials have also accused Ukraine and Western countries of attempting to destabilize Russia.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has rejected Russian elections held in occupied Ukrainian territory and has suspended its own national elections under martial law.
As voting ended on Sunday, the drone attack added another layer of tension to an election that Moscow had already portrayed as a test of public support for Putin and his wartime policies. Early results were expected later on Sunday, with fuller figures due on Monday.
