Putin’s United Russia Party Wins Record 355 Seats in Parliamentary Election 

President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has secured a record 355 seats in Russia’s 450-member State Duma, according to preliminary results from the country’s three-day parliamentary election.

Russia’s electoral chief, Ella Pamfilova, announced the results on Monday, saying more than 95 per cent of the votes had been counted.

The result gives United Russia a larger parliamentary majority than the 343 seats it won in the previous election in 2016.

The election was the first parliamentary poll in Russia since Moscow launched its military offensive in Ukraine in 2022.

No parties openly critical of Putin participated in the election, while the Kremlin maintains tight control over the electoral process and has banned criticism of its military campaign in Ukraine.

Pamfilova said voter turnout exceeded 59 per cent, thanking Russians for participating despite what she described as “psychological pressure” on the country.

The Communist Party finished second with 40 seats, while the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) won 25 seats.

The New People party secured 20 seats, according to the preliminary results.

United Russia has dominated Russian politics since the early 2000s, while Putin has remained in power since he became acting president on December 31, 1999.

Pamfilova said the final results would be announced later in the week after the remaining votes had been counted.