MOSCOW — Russia has reported a series of cyberattacks targeting its electronic voting infrastructure and communication networks as voters took part in the second day of a three-day parliamentary election, adding a digital-security crisis to an already closely watched vote.
Russian officials said Moscow’s online voting system came under what election authorities described as a powerful and sustained cyberattack overnight from Friday into Saturday. Central Election Commission Chair Ella Pamfilova said the attacks continued but that the electronic voting system remained operational.
The claims were reported by Russian state media and news agencies including Interfax. Russian authorities did not publicly provide evidence identifying the perpetrators or independently verifiable technical details about the attacks.
The country’s Digital Ministry also reported an attempted act of sabotage against communication lines in Russia’s Far East. Authorities said the attempt was thwarted and communications were restored.
President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere with the election, but Reuters reported that he provided no evidence for the allegation. Ukraine’s responsibility for the reported cyberattacks has not been independently established.
Russia’s first parliamentary election since the 2022 invasion
The parliamentary election, running from September 18 through September 20, 2026, is the first Russian State Duma election since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
More than 111 million voters are eligible to participate, with electronic voting being used alongside traditional polling. The State Duma has 450 seats, with half elected through party lists and the other half through single-member constituencies.
The Kremlin has presented the election as an opportunity to demonstrate national unity and support for its policies. Reuters reported that the vote is also being closely watched as an indication of public sentiment toward the war in Ukraine.
Online voting becomes a major focus
Digital voting has become an increasingly important component of Russia’s electoral system, particularly in Moscow and other regions.
By the second day, Russia’s Central Election Commission reported nationwide turnout of 32.58%, according to Reuters. The figure was provisional because voting was continuing through Sunday.
The reliance on electronic voting has also placed greater attention on the security and reliability of election-related digital infrastructure.
Russian officials said the reported attacks did not prevent voting from continuing. However, the lack of publicly released technical information means that the scale, origin and precise nature of the cyber activity remain difficult to independently assess.
Election takes place amid restrictions on opposition
The cyberattacks are unfolding against a broader political backdrop in which anti-war opposition has faced significant restrictions.
Reuters and AP reported that most candidates openly opposed to Russia’s war in Ukraine have been excluded from the election. The liberal Yabloko party was removed from the party-list ballot following a Russian Supreme Court decision, although some of its members are still contesting individual constituencies.
The Associated Press also reported allegations from Yabloko concerning the arrest of an election observer in St. Petersburg. The party said the observer lost consciousness during the arrest after police used force. These allegations have not been independently established in the available reporting.
Voting in Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories
The election has also drawn international criticism because Russia is conducting voting in Ukrainian territories that Moscow claims to have annexed.
AP reported that residents in parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are participating in the Russian parliamentary election for the first time. Ukraine has condemned the voting as illegal, while the European Union has also rejected Russia’s holding of elections in occupied Ukrainian territory.
Russia’s decision to conduct voting in these areas is part of a broader dispute over Moscow’s claims to sovereignty over territory internationally recognized as Ukrainian.
A separate dispute with Moldova
The election has also created tensions with Moldova over voting arrangements in Transdniestria, the Russian-backed separatist region of Moldova.
Moscow planned to open polling stations there for Russian citizens, arguing that residents holding Russian passports should be able to vote. Moldova has opposed the move and said voting should instead be restricted to Russia’s embassy in Chisinau. Reuters reported that Moscow and Chisinau exchanged sharp accusations over the issue.
What happens as voting closes?
Russia’s parliamentary vote is scheduled to conclude on September 20, with the final results expected after polling stations close and ballots are counted.
The reported cyberattacks add another layer of scrutiny to an election already being watched for turnout, opposition participation, electronic-voting security and the political message Moscow may draw from the final results.
For now, Russian authorities say the online voting system remains operational and that reported attacks have been repelled. The available evidence does not independently establish who was behind the attacks or whether they were connected to Ukraine.
The next key developments will be the conclusion of voting, the release of preliminary results and further information about the reported attacks on Russia’s electoral infrastructure.
