Russia holds first Duma election since Ukraine invasion as war veterans enter politics

Russia holds its first parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with war veterans on the ballot and the anti-war opposition barred.

• Russians vote this weekend to elect 450 deputies to the State Duma, the first lower-house election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• Nearly 200 war veterans are taking part in the election, according to officials, extending state programs moving combat veterans into public office.
• The Supreme Court removed the anti-war Yabloko party from the ballot in July, leaving it unable to contest the party-list vote.
• Yabloko candidate Grigory Grishin said police have detained party candidates while "carrying out a political order."