Yabloko distances itself from exiled supporters' campaign ahead of State Duma vote

Nikolai Rybakov, chairman of the Yabloko party, issued a statement emphasizing that the party is not connected to a support campaign launched by politicians and public figures based outside Russia. He explained that public backing from abroad could, under current conditions, lead to the party being removed from the September State Duma elections.

"The Yabloko party categorically has no foreign sources of funding, maintains no relations with organizations recognized as undesirable in the Russian Federation, and does not consider statements, appeals, or events held by anyone abroad to be part of its election campaign," Rybakov's address, published on the party's website, said.

Earlier, a group of politicians and public figures announced the creation of a public support headquarters for Yabloko. The organizers urged Russians to vote for the party to express protest against the war and Vladimir Putin. Among them are politicians Andrei Pivovarov and Vladimir Kara-Murza, human rights activist Oleg Orlov, writer Dmitry Bykov, and journalist Kirill Martynov.

Yulia Navalnaya, Ilya Yashin, Lyubov Sobol, and other opposition politicians also called for voting for Yabloko. Following this, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) leader Leonid Slutsky said Yabloko should be recognized as an "undesirable organization," and A Just Russia — For Truth chairman Sergei Mironov called on the Prosecutor General's Office and the Justice Ministry to review the party's activities.

Amid the pressure, online attention to Yabloko has surged. According to the Atlas of Elections project, mentions of the party on social media more than doubled, and posts garnered over 11.5 million views. By August 6, Yabloko's official Telegram channel had become the most popular among Russian parties' channels.

The State Duma elections will take place from September 18 to 20. The Central Election Commission registered Yabloko's federal list, which includes 269 candidates. During the campaign, the party faced pressure on candidates and refusals of registration in several regions.