(MOSCOW) – Russia’s ruling United Russia party has secured a record 355 seats in the 450-seat State Duma following parliamentary elections held from 18th to 20th September 2026, according to preliminary results released by the Central Election Commission. The result grants the Kremlin-aligned party a constitutional majority, surpassing its previous high of 343 seats secured in 2016.
The Central Election Commission reported that United Russia received 57.83 percent of the party-list vote with 95.18 percent of protocols processed. Turnout was declared at 59.32 percent, which officials described as a record for parliamentary elections. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation finished second with 13.81 percent and 40 seats, followed by the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party with 8.98 percent and 25 seats, and the New People party with 7.96 percent and 20 seats.
The election was conducted without the participation of independent international observers, including organisations such as Amnesty International and the OSCE, which did not monitor the vote. The anti-war Yabloko party was excluded from the ballot, prompting criticism from international bodies. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated that the Kremlin had silenced dissenting voices and announced sanctions against those responsible for organising voting in occupied Ukrainian territories.
In an unusual development following the elections, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov publicly criticised the Kremlin’s direction, warning that continuing the war against Ukraine would lead to Russia’s defeat. Speaking at a briefing after the Duma results were announced, Zyuganov stated: “If the course does not change and this exhausting war continues, everyone will lose”. He called for a “left-centre turn” and a policy based on “justice, friendship and socialism”.
Zyuganov further criticised Russia’s economic performance, noting that global economies are growing at 3 to 4 percent annually while Russia has reported growth of approximately 1 percent for over 15 years. He claimed that during the war years, the number of Russian oligarchs increased from 105 to 155, with their combined assets reaching approximately 700 billion US dollars (about 58.9 trillion Russian rubles at the current rate of 84.06 rubles per dollar, or approximately 552 billion pound sterling at the rate of 112.43 rubles per pound). Zyuganov also alleged electoral fraud and stated that Communist Party observers were removed from polling stations.
The Russian Finance Ministry has projected a budget deficit of 1.6 percent of GDP for 2026, equivalent to approximately 4.6 trillion rubles (approximately 54.7 billion US dollars or approximately 40.9 billion pound sterling). Russia’s Economic Development Ministry has significantly lowered its 2026 GDP growth forecast to just 0.4 percent, down from an earlier estimate of 1.3 percent.
The elections took place amid ongoing drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not commented on the Russian election results.
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