On the 6th, voting began across Russia for a three-day unified local election to select heads and council members of federal entities (local governments). The votes will be counted after voting ends on the 8th. This year, elections will be held for the governor of Kursk Oblast in western Russia, which is under cross-border attack by the Ukrainian military, as well as city council elections in the capital, Moscow. Candidates from Putin’s ruling party, United Russia, are expected to win in the majority of local entities in the mayoral elections.

The Russian government is planning to hold the elections even under the unusual circumstances in which some of its territories have been occupied by other countries due to cross-border attacks, in order to demonstrate that the country is in “peacetime.” The government also seems to be aiming to present a “landslide victory” for United Russia, and to demonstrate both domestically and internationally that its military operation against Ukraine has broad public support.

In Russia, the main opposition parties have become “intra-establishment opposition parties” that cater to the government, and there are restrictions on anti-establishment candidates running for office, so elections cannot be said to reflect the “will of the people.” The merits of military operations have not been made a point of contention.

According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, this year’s elections will see mayoral elections in 21 of the more than 80 constituent entities across the country. Early voting began in late August in Kursk Oblast as a special measure following the cross-border attacks. Elections for district mayors and other elections have been postponed in municipalities in the oblast that are in areas occupied by Ukrainian forces. (Onoda Yuichi)