Russians are preparing to elect a new Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, later this week. United Russia, the official party of Putinism, is anticipated to secure a majority in the vote.
The supreme court last month blocked Yabloko, a liberal party, from appearing on the Duma ballot papers. Yabloko's manifesto calls for a ceasefire, diplomacy, and peace in Ukraine.
This election marks the first parliamentary poll since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The war is now in its fifth year, with long-range missiles and drones reportedly attacking infrastructure inside Russia.