Putin accuses Ukraine of interfering in Duma vote as cyber attacks hit Moscow's online electoral system
From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.
A social media post flagging the second day of Russia's wartime vote, with European leaders warning Vladimir Putin may order a fresh mobilisation of 300,000 troops once polling closes.Russia's three-day parliamentary vote, closing Sunday, leaves only pro-invasion parties in contention after Yabloko's removal, as Vladimir Putin declared casting a ballot would help secure "Russia's victory" in Ukraine.
Russia's Central Election Commission says its online voting system in Moscow was subjected to a strong overnight cyber attack on the second day of the country's tightly controlled parliamentary election, with authorities claiming all assaults were being successfully repelled. Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of interfering in the vote and said Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory proved Kyiv's peace offers were disingenuous. A Yabloko party election observer lost consciousness after police arrested him at a St. Petersburg polling station and was charged with disobeying orders. The three-day State Duma election, the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, is widely expected to entrench the ruling United Russia party's dominance.
Kyiv derided the vote as a "pseudo-election" with the result never in doubt, and Ukrainian officials say no election can be held in their own country while a state of emergency remains in force.
Putin told Russia's Military-Industrial Commission that Ukraine had "long degenerated into a dictatorship" for not holding a presidential election, without providing evidence.
Yabloko, the only party that criticised the war, was removed from the ballot by Russia's Supreme Court last month, and most anti-war candidates were barred from running.
