Russians were casting their ballots on Saturday to elect a new lower house of parliament, on the second day of a round of voting that President Vladimir Putin's party is all but guaranteed to win. 

It is Russia's first parliamentary election since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Parties that support Putin's war in Ukraine are the only ones registered to run, and the opposition is barred from taking part. 

Despite expectations of an easy win for Putin, the elections are widely being viewed as a referendum on the continuation of his military campaign — now in its fifth year.

The polls are taking place at a time when public sentiment is starting to shift against the war over rising prices, internet crackdowns, fuel shortages and rumors of another mobilization drive following the elections.

More than 110 million Russians are eligible to vote for 450 members of the lower house of the Russian Parliament, known as the State Duma.

Putin's United Russia party currently controls over two-thirds of the seats and is expected to retain its dominance, allowing it to continue the military campaign despite ebbing public support.

Voting held in occupied Ukrainian regions

For the first time in a Russian parliamentary election, Moscow is conducting voting in occupied parts of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Russia claimed to annex the four regions in September 2022, although it does not fully control any of them. The annexations are not internationally recognized.

Russian authorities say the occupied territories have more than 3.5 million eligible voters. Balloting began there and in some Russian border areas in late August, earlier than elsewhere, with officials citing security concerns.

Footage from a polling station in occupied Donetsk showed voters casting ballots while an armed Russian soldier stood nearby.

Ukrainian officials condemned the voting as illegal and urged foreign governments and international organizations not to recognize either the election or its results.

Kyiv also warned that helping organize the vote could result in criminal prosecution.

Edited by: Natalie Muller and Karl Sexton

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