Russia Holds Parliamentary Election Amid Major Moscow Drone Attack

Russia is holding the final day of its three-day parliamentary election on Sunday, September 20, as Ukraine launched what Russian authorities described as an unprecedented large-scale drone attack targeting Moscow and surrounding areas. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defences had intercepted more than 1,600 drones since Saturday, including about 450 that were heading toward Moscow. Authorities said two people were killed in the wider Moscow region, while a facility at the Moscow oil refinery was damaged. A residential building was also hit, prompting the evacuation of about 400 people, including children, according to Moscow regional authorities. Reuters witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke near the refinery. Sobyanin accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the election, saying the attack had failed to achieve that objective. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the attack, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said Ukrainian forces had used drones and domestically developed missiles against Russian oil and logistics infrastructure. The election The election, which began on September 18, is the first Russian parliamentary vote since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russians are choosing members of the 450-seat State Duma. Reuters reports that most anti-war candidates were excluded from the ballot, while Russia's ruling United Russia party is expected to retain its dominance. Russian authorities have also reported cyberattacks against voting systems during the election. The Kremlin has presented the election as an indication of public support for President Vladimir Putin's policies and the war in Ukraine, while critics and opposition figures have questioned the competitiveness and openness of the vote. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-election-cast-test-support-ukraine-war-enters-final-day-2026-09-20