@sbsnews_au: Russians have begun heading to the polls for three days of voting to elect a new State Duma, with the ruling United Russia party — which backs President Vladimir Putin — almost guaranteed to retain power. The parliamentary vote is the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Putin has billed the poll as a barometer of support for the conflict, but most anti-war candidates have been banned from running. The impacts of the war are becoming increasingly harder to ignore for many Russians – but what role will it play in these elections? For more, watch World News Weekly @sbsnews_au (link in bio)

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Friday 18 September 2026 07:30:03 GMT