Exit polls show ruling party maintaining control amid ongoing war, while Kyiv's deadly strike marks third day of wartime voting.
Published
Russia's ruling United Russia party was projected to win the country's tightly controlled parliamentary elections on Sunday, according to exit polls, extending President Vladimir Putin's grip on power despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. The election proceeded as Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Moscow, killing three people, city officials said. The strikes occurred on the third and final day of Russia's wartime vote, which international observers have dismissed as neither free nor fair.
The attack represented one of the most significant Ukrainian strikes on the Russian capital since the conflict began. Moscow's city officials confirmed three fatalities in what appeared to be a coordinated drone assault targeting residential areas. The timing underscored the persistent security challenges facing Russia as it conducts electoral proceedings under wartime conditions.
In German politics, Chancellor Friedrich Merz described his party's performance in state elections as a 'disaster' after exit polls showed damaging losses for his centre-right CDU party in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Despite the setbacks, Merz vowed to remain in his position.
Elsewhere, Nigeria's Obidient Movement warned it would no longer tolerate attacks on its members during campaigns or elections, following violence at a One Million Man March in Warri, Delta State on September 18. The statement comes as Nigeria approaches future electoral contests.
Sources: 1.