On Sunday night, Moscow announced the victory of the United Russia party, led by Vladimir Putin, in local elections in the annexed regions of Ukraine with over 70% of the vote.
The Russian Electoral Commission confirmed that the United Russia party had won local elections in the regions of Zaporizhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk. These territories had been annexed by Russia in a tense international context, which had sparked strong criticism from the international community.
The outcome of these elections did not come as a surprise to many observers, given the control exerted by the Russian government over these regions since their annexation.
There are also concerns about the transparency of the electoral process. International observers were not allowed to closely monitor the elections, raising doubts about the integrity of the vote. Furthermore, allegations of electoral fraud have emerged, although Russian authorities have rejected them.
