Addressing participants in the war in Ukraine, Putin said: "I want you to know, comrades: this vote is for you." According to him, people believe in the military, in victory, in their courage and devotion to the Motherland.
Putin also expressed confidence that all the goals of the "special military operation" would be achieved. He thanked Russian citizens for their active participation in the election campaign.
According to Putin, attempts were made to "hinder, to disrupt" the elections, which he said was evidenced by "constant attempts by the enemy to break through the air defense of Moscow and other regions." He called the lines at polling stations proof that "it is impossible to intimidate Russia."
According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), United Russia will retain its constitutional majority in parliament with 348 seats, 24 more than in the Duma of the previous convocation. The CEC says the Communist Party (38 seats), the Liberal Democratic Party (24), New People (19) and A Just Russia (16) also entered the Duma.
Turnout, according to the CEC, was a record 59.32%. Data Insight co-founder Boris Ovchinnikov estimated real turnout at less than 40% and said that outside Moscow, turnout was falsified or artificially inflated at almost 70% of polling stations. By his calculations, roughly 31% of votes were falsified, and the share of falsified ballots for United Russia could reach 55%.
Analyst Pyotr Zhizhin, using the Shpilkin method, estimated United Russia's real result at 35%. According to estimates by electoral analysts, about 18 million paper votes may have been "stuffed" for the ruling party. A Just Russia, according to the CEC, cleared the 5% threshold in the final minutes of voting, when 60,000 votes cast for it suddenly appeared in the system.