The Guardian: Behind The Facade Of The Russian Elections Lies The Kremlin's Fear
- 14.09.2026, 10:35
Falsification that is too obvious could backfire on the Russian authorities.
The State Duma elections do not pose a threat to Vladimir Putin's regime; however, the very need to carefully control the results reflects the Kremlin's growing concern about public sentiment in Russia. This is the conclusion reached by The Guardian.
The Russian system has long turned elections into a tool of managed democracy, where a victory for “United Russia” is virtually a foregone conclusion. However, too obvious a rigged election could backfire on the Kremlin. If the official results diverge significantly from the public’s actual sentiments, it will only underscore the authorities’ fear of the free expression of the people’s will.
One such signal was the Supreme Court’s decision to bar the liberal Yabloko party from the election. The formal justification for this appeared so dubious that the decision raised questions even given the current realities in Russia.
The party’s stance on the war is of particular significance. The upcoming elections will be the first parliamentary elections since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In its platform, “Yabloko” calls for a ceasefire, diplomacy, and peace.
“The decision to prevent even this message from reaching voters points to nervousness surrounding the war’s popularity,” writes The Guardian.
Beyond the official propaganda, Russians are increasingly facing the consequences of the war. Ukrainian strikes on targets deep inside Russia are complicating Moscow’s attempts to portray the conflict as a war far removed from ordinary citizens. Inflation, fuel shortages, and casualties on the front lines are becoming increasingly difficult to hide.
Estimates suggest that Russian casualties have reached approximately 1.5 million people, including hundreds of thousands of fatalities. Faced with a shortage of volunteers, the authorities are resorting to pressure and deception in their efforts to recruit soldiers. At the same time, rumors are spreading about a new mobilization after the elections.
“The more zealously the Kremlin tries to fabricate evidence of public support, the less convincing it looks,” the publication notes.