Russia held its first wartime parliamentary election over three days beginning 18 September, amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud. The election is significant as it features virtually no opposition and is widely expected to secure Kremlin dominance, with critics describing it as a "sham" election that prevents genuine democratic choice.

Multiple irregularities were reported across Russian regions, including voters in Syktyvkar receiving pre-marked ballots already ticked for Putin's United Russia party. Footage documented ballot stuffing in several locations, with a St Petersburg polling station staff member filmed inserting approximately 100 voting papers into a box, and ballot boxes found with broken seals. Additional allegations included workers from state and defence companies being ordered to photograph their completed ballots for their employers, observers being blocked from monitoring some mobile polling stations, and residents in occupied Luhansk being told they had already voted without their knowledge. The opposition Yabloko party, the sole registered entity criticising the invasion of Ukraine, was removed from the ballot by Russia's Supreme Court last month, effectively preventing anti-war voters from supporting opposing candidates.