‘There are no decent parties left’: Sham elections underscore Putin’s grip on Russia

Russia is holding its first parliamentary elections this weekend since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — a vote that sees the opposition scrambling to give voters options in a field increasingly narrowed by the Kremlin. The shadow of the war looms large over proceedings. As Ukraine intensified strikes on Russian territory and showed greater tolerance for civilian casualties, Russia’s Supreme Court in August barred Yabloko — the country’s only openly anti-war party — from fielding a national list of candidates in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house.