Russia holds parliamentary vote in occupied Ukraine

Russia began State Duma elections on Friday, with voting also taking place in occupied areas of eastern Ukraine that Moscow annexed after its 2022 invasion. Critics say the vote is meant to project support for President Vladimir Putin and his war effort rather than reflect a free political choice. Election observers from the OSCE were not invited, and opposition figures said the absence of independent monitoring undermines transparency. Russian authorities have also tightened censorship and restricted dissent since the invasion, while the Kremlin has approved rules for voting in occupied territory. Ukraine rejects Russia’s claim of sovereignty over the occupied regions and says any election there is illegal. The threeday vote is set to end on September 20.