Zyuganov Predicted That Russia Would Be Defeated If The War Continued And Putin Maintained His Current Course
- 21.09.2026, 19:42
The leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation made a statement that came as a surprise to the Kremlin.
Gennady Zyuganov , leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) , stated that if the current political course is maintained and the war continues, Russia will ultimately “lose.” At a CPRF briefing following the State Duma elections, he called for a “center-left shift” and a transition to a policy of “justice, friendship, and socialism.” “If the course isn’t changed and this grueling war continues, everyone will lose,” Zyuganov said. He also criticized the pace of Russia’s economic growth. “The world is moving forward at a rate of 3–4%, while we’ve been stuck at 1% for 15 years. This is unacceptable,” the CPRF leader declared indignantly.
Zyuganov noted Russia’s technological lag behind the rest of the world, pointing out that “we haven’t made our own phone in 20 years.” In addition, he pointed out that over the years of the war, the number of Russian oligarchs has increased from 105 to 155, and the wealth they control, according to the faction leader, has reached $700 billion. “The oligarchy… does not want to contribute to the victory, pay fair taxes, or invest,” declared the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, while also pointing to rising prices in Russia: in his words, the cost of a “borscht basket” of goods has risen by 40% over the past year.
The day before, Zyuganov appeared on the “Vesti Nedeli” program on the “Russia 1” television channel and spoke about election fraud and the removal of CPRF observers. He claimed that preliminary polls showed the party receiving between 18 and 30 percent of the vote, whereas after 29.09 percent of the ballots had been tallied, the CPRF had received 13.99 percent.
“I looked at some of the tables that have been shown on screen for the past three hours. They do not reflect any trend or the actual situation,” Zyuganov said. He also reported that all CPRF observers had been illegally removed in Voronezh, and added that similar incidents had occurred in other regions.
According to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission, “United Russia” is receiving 57.97% of the vote on party lists and is winning in 208 out of 225 single-member districts. The party could win a record 355 out of 450 seats in the State Duma, compared to 310 in the previous convocation. The CPRF is at 13.65%, the LDPR at 8.96%, “New People” 7.9%, and “Fair Russia” 5.13%. Voter turnout for the September 18–20 elections was 56.66%. The final results are not expected to be announced before September 25.