Russia votes amid war as Kremlin tightens power grip

Voting has begun in Russia’s parliamentary election with the main Kremlin party poised to retain its overwhelming grip on the lower house. The political and economic environment, however, has visibly changed four-and-a-half years after the start of Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine. Economic costs are increasing, Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and logistical facilities have inflicted massive damage, and the public, which no longer sees the fighting as something d