Putin’s United Russia wins 355 seats in Russia’s parliamentary election

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during a ceremony to present state awards in the defence industry sector at the Kremlin in Moscow on September 18, 2026. Putin’s United Russia party won a record 355 seats in Russia’s 450-seat Duma lower house of parliament, according to preliminary results from the three day election released by electoral chief Ella Pamfilova on Monday. — AFP pic

First Published: Monday, 21 Sep 2026 5:46 PM MYT

MOSCOW, Sept 21 — President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party won a record 355 seats in Russia’s 450-seat Duma lower house of parliament, according to preliminary results from the three day election released by electoral chief Ella Pamfilova on Monday.

With almost all votes counted from the poll, in which no parties critical of Putin took part, results showed the presidential party will have a supermajority larger than its previous 2016 record of 343 seats.

It was Russia’s first parliamentary election since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022.

The Kremlin tightly controls elections and Moscow has banned criticism of its military campaign in Ukraine.

Pamfilova said turnout was more than 59 per cent, thanking Russians for voting despite what she called “psychological pressure” on the country.

Russia’s Communist party came second, winning 40 seats.

The nationalist LDPR party took 25 seats and the New People party winning 20 seats.

United Russia has dominated politics since the early 2000s and Putin has been in power since New Year’s Eve 1999.

Pamfilova said that more than 95 per cent of votes have been counted and that final results will be announced later this week. — AFP