Russia votes in State Duma election amid cyberattacks and Moldovan diplomatic row

Cyberattacks and voting procedures

Russians cast ballots on 19 September 2026 during the second day of a three-day parliamentary election running from 18 to 20 September. The election decides all 450 seats in the State Duma, marking the first parliamentary vote held in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Electoral authorities reported heavy electronic disruptions overnight, targeting the online voting portal in Moscow. Central Election Commission chair Ella Pamfilova stated that defensive systems repelled the coordinated attempts to disrupt capital operations. Separately, the digital ministry reported a thwarted sabotage attempt against communication lines in Russia's Far East, confirming that normal transmission was restored.

Pamfilova described the continuous electronic interference affecting the capital during Saturday morning briefings.

“All night long, the Moscow system was subjected to a very powerful, continuous attack.”

Wartime context and candidate selection

Voting is also taking place across Russian-occupied regions of eastern Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia, where Russian officials reported that a Ukrainian strike killed a local election commission head. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and government officials rejected the process as a pseudo-election, noting that Ukrainian elections remain suspended under wartime state of emergency laws. Most anti-war candidates were disqualified from the Russian ballot, leaving only parties aligned with the Kremlin's policies. Russian President Vladimir Putin cast his vote online on 18 September and addressed Russia's Military-Industrial Commission, reaffirming reliance on Moscow's nuclear triad. Around 200 military veterans from the conflict in Ukraine are running as candidates across several registered party lists.

Addressing defence officials on Friday, Putin accused the Ukrainian government of trying to disrupt the Russian vote.

“The Ukrainian leadership is in no hurry to hold elections, as you know, but they are also trying to interfere with us.”

The voting coincides with economic difficulties at home, where refinery strikes have triggered regional fuel shortages and voters have reported stagnant wages.

Diplomatic clash over Transdniestria polling

The election triggered a diplomatic dispute between Russia and Moldova over plans to organize voting in the breakaway region of Transdniestria. Moldovan authorities summoned Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov after Moscow moved to open 15 polling stations in the unrecognised territory, which broke away from Moldova in 1990. The pro-Western government in Chisinau, aiming for European Union accession by 2030, insisted that Russian voting must occur only at the embassy in Chisinau. Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihail Popsoi warned Moscow against disrupting peaceful reintegration efforts, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Moldovan authorities to halt actions against voting rights.

2021 election27

2026 election15

2021 election

27 stations

2026 election

15 stations

Data from the article text

Moscow claimed that 220,000 residents in Transdniestria hold Russian passports and are eligible to vote, though Moldovan authorities contested that figure. Russia keeps roughly 1,500 troops stationed in the region despite Chisinau's demands for full withdrawal. During the previous Duma election in 2021, Russian officials opened 27 polling stations in Transdniestria, where over 59,000 voters participated and 76.2% supported the ruling United Russia party.