# Russia votes in Ukraine territories it seized

> Moscow holds its first parliamentary election in annexed Ukrainian regions, drawing international condemnation and accusations of coercion.
- Title: Russia votes in Ukraine territories it seized · NPR | Shortify
- Summary: Moscow holds its first parliamentary election in annexed Ukrainian regions, drawing international condemnation and accusations of coercion. Russia is using…
- Keywords: russia, ukraine, parliamentary election, donetsk, luhansk, kherson, zaporizhzhia, annexed territories, state duma, vladimir putin, kyiv, international law
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/09/19/g-s1-144169/russia-holds-parliamentary-vote-in-areas-it-seized-from-ukraine
- Published: 2026-09-19T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: russia, ukraine, parliamentary election, donetsk, luhansk, kherson, zaporizhzhia, annexed territories, state duma, vladimir putin, kyiv, international law
## Russia expands election to seized lands
For the first time, Russia's parliamentary election includes residents of four Ukrainian regions Moscow annexed in September 2022. The territories have over 3.5 million registered voters.
## Putin frames vote as show of unity
President Vladimir Putin said the election demonstrates that millions support the war and that Russians are united. He emphasized that soldiers fighting in Ukraine will also vote.

> Your choice and resolve will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our fighters
## Ukraine calls vote illegal and invalid
Kyiv officials and nine Ukrainian human rights groups denounced the election as a violation of international law. Ukraine urged foreign governments not to recognize the results.

> Holding Russian elections in the temporarily occupied territories is an attempt to use the electoral process to legitimize the Russian occupation
## EU condemns election as international violation
The European Commission called the voting a blatant violation of international law and said the EU will never recognize the elections or their results.

> The European Union does not, and will never recognize either the holding of these, so-called elections, sham elections
## Activists report house-to-house coercion
Human rights groups say Russian-appointed officials and troops went door-to-door forcing residents to vote. Those who refused faced threats of job loss and pension cuts.

> members of local election commissions were going house to house, escorted by Russian troops and security agents, to force people to vote
## Analysts call election a democratic farce
Political experts say voting under Russian military occupation and amid ongoing shelling is meaningless. One analyst called it elections held at gunpoint.

> elections held at gunpoint are a farce
## Extended voting period cited for security
Balloting in occupied territories began at the end of August, weeks before the main election. Russian officials said the extended period was for security reasons.
## Key takeaway

Russia is using elections in occupied Ukrainian territory to legitimize its military gains, but the international community and Ukrainian activists say the vote is illegal and coerced.