Russians vote in election that Putin sees as gauge of support for his war

The State Duma election, the first since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, ‌is widely expected to see the ruling pro-Putin United Russia party retain its dominance in Russia’s tightly controlled political system.

Russians began voting on Friday in a three-day parliamentary election which President Vladimir Putin has said will show that millions of people back his army fighting in Ukraine, ​even though most anti-war candidates were not allowed to run.