Moscow, Russia – The State Duma conducted a parliamentary election on Thursday in several regions of Ukraine that have been occupied by Russian forces since the invasion began in 2022. Voting took place in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts under Russian administration, with ballots featuring candidates from United Russia and other pro‑Kremlin parties. International observers from the OSCE and the United Nations condemned the vote as illegal and a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. The Russian electoral commission reported a turnout of 78 % and declared a decisive victory for United Russia, claiming the results as evidence of “the will of the people” in the annexed territories.
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