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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayVladimir Putin’s United Russia has claimed a record number of seats hours after polls closed in the first parliamentary election since the start of the full-scale invasion, further cementing his grip on power.
Results from over 95% of the polling stations gave the governing party just under 58% of the vote for the 225 seats apportioned by parties, according to the Central Election Commission.
Commission chair Ella Pamfilova said the party would get 355 seats out of 450, a record high, if confirmed.
A joint statement released by the UK Foreign Office criticised the election as “sham” after voting was also held - for the first time - in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
“These regions are part of Ukraine and holding sham elections cannot alter the status of these territories under international law. We continue to stand with Ukraine,” it said.
The Kremlin has tried to cast the parliamentary election as a test of support for its war in Ukraine, even as critics say there are few available avenues for genuine dissent.
Volodymyr Zelensky warned earlier today that Russia is “sending many signals” that it is ready to expand the war. The Ukrainian President said he will meet Donald Trump this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Britain condemns Russian elections in occupied Ukrainian territories as 'illegal'
Britain has condemned Russia’s “sham” elections in occupied Ukrainian territories in a joint statement with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.
“These sham elections are part of a wider system of occupation: the imposition of Russian administration, law, media, education, language and citizenship, backed by coercion and repression.,” it said.
“This includes reports of the enforced disappearance, detention, and torture of thousands of Ukrainian citizens.”
Voting was held for the second time in the annexed Crimean Pensisula and for the first in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.
“These regions are part of Ukraine and holding sham elections cannot alter the status of these territories under international law,” the statement added.
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 11:30
How other parties did in 'sham' Russian election
Communist Party of the Russian Federation - 13.8 percent
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia - 8.9 percent
New People party - 7.9 percent
Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia's Central Election Commission, said the Fair Russia party was said to have a "good chance" of clearing 5 percent of the vote.
She also called the vote "clean" in the face of allegations from opposition activists in exile of widespread rigging.
Voter turnout was recorded at 59.3%, the Tass state news agency reported.
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 11:15
Russia could be 'stockpiling' ballistic missiles for winter
Russia has significantly reduced the deployment of ballistic missiles in attacks on Ukraine, suggesting it may be stockpiling them for winter, it has been reported.
Since August, the military has favoured jet-powered drones instead, according to Bloomberg.
Ballistic missiles inflict some of the heaviest damage, and can only be countered with ABM systems, like the US Patriots, which is running low on.
Since the start of the war, Russia has attached Ukraine's energy system 5,796 times.
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 11:00
'No progress' in negotiations, Putin spokesperson says
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Vladimir Putin, has confirmed there has been “no progress so far in the negotiation process regarding Ukraine”.
His statement to the Tass state news agency comes as Volodymyr Zelensky said he will travel to New York to meet with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 10:30
Reports of Ukrainian 'frustration' with Steve Witkoff are 'false'
Volodymyr Zelensky’c chief negotiator has praised the work of US envoy Steve Witkoff after reports that the Ukrainian government was “growing increasingly frustrated” with him, it was reported.
Rustem Umerov, who is also the head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, insisted that a Kyiv Independent story the frustration with Witkoff is “false.
“I believe that the work of American negotiators should be assessed by people who are directly involved in the negotiation process and work closely with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner," he told Axios.
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 10:00
Putin's United Russia leads with 57.8% in election, preliminary results show
United Russia is leading with 57.8 percent in the parliamentary election, preliminary results show.
As widely expected, Vladimir Putin’s party will retain power, after a mass clampdown on anti-war candidates.
The chair of Russia's Central Election Commission said voter turnout stood at 59.32 percent, state media reported.
The final results will be announced on September 25.
Putin's party is expected to win 355 seats, the outlet added.
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 09:30
Decoy drones and jet-powered UAVs used in mixed-swarm Russian attack
Ukrainian forces shot down 148 long-range Shahed, Gerbera and Parodiya decoy drones, as well as a low-cost Benderol cruise missile, overnight.
Russia deploys the UAVs in mixed-swarm drone attacks to overwhelm and and exhaust Ukrainian air defences.
Some newer variants of Shahed drones are jet-powered to fly much faster. At least 64 of the ones used overnight were jet-powered.
Most were launched from border regions including Kursk and Belgorod, as well as occupied Donetsk and annexed Crimea.
“Enemy air assets were recorded striking 14 locations, while debris from shot-down targets fell at four other locations,” the Ukrainian army said in an early morning update on Telegram
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 09:00
In pictures: Battle to extinguish fires across Zaporizhzhia
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 08:35
'Vicious, deliberate' attack as Russia refuses to 'back down from escalation'
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned the West that Russia is refusing to “back down from its escalation and is sending many signals that it is ready to expand the war.”
His comments followed an overnight strike on a residential building, a university facility, a shopping centre and a boiler house in Zaporizhzhia.
“A vicious, deliberate Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia began last evening,” the Ukrainian president said on X, adding that residents have been evacuated.
Overall, Russia struck 10 Ukrainian regions throughout the night.
Zelensky added: “Every response and every long-range sanction is part of the pressure that is actually working, and the world can feel it.”
Gergana.Krasteva21 September 2026 08:15
One killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Bryansk region, acting governor says
A man was killed and three people were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, the region's acting governor, Yegor Kovalchuk, said in a statement on Russia's MAX messenger app on Monday.
Namita Singh21 September 2026 07:49
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