War justification and mobilization: how Putin can use the parliamentary elections in Russia

Russia is wrapping up parliamentary elections, the results of which the Kremlin could use to justify continuing the war against Ukraine. The vote could also serve as an argument for a possible increase in mobilization measures in the Russian Federation.

This is reported by Reuters .

According to the agency, the pro-Putin party United Russia is expected to win the election. Vladimir Putin may present the result as confirmation of support for his policies and the continuation of the war.

The results of the vote could also be used to bring participants in the war against Ukraine into parliament. They could be presented as an example to other Russians to encourage them to participate in the fighting.

Reuters notes that the war is increasingly affecting the daily lives of Russians, so the Kremlin needs additional arguments to support its actions. “Putin is likely to point to the election results to say that most people support his decision to continue the war,” the article says.

At the same time, holding elections could allow the authorities to demonstrate that life in Russia is continuing as usual despite the war. The Kremlin could also use the lack of elections in Ukraine during martial law in its information rhetoric.

Separately, experts suggest that the voting results could be used to justify a new mobilization. According to their estimates, the Russian authorities may also intensify repressive measures after the elections.

Recall that on September 18, “Pryamiy” wrote that voting in the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation had begun in the occupied Crimea. Local residents are calling the current campaign “the quietest elections.”

The day before, it became known that the Russian Federation had prepared over seven million ballots for voting in the occupied territories, while the lists formed by the occupation authorities had significantly fewer “voters.”

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