Putin tightens grip on Russian elections with anti-war opposition squeezed out

Russia’s first parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has begun with voters facing a sharply narrowed political field: the country’s only openly anti-war party has been barred from running a national list, while pro-Kremlin parties and war veterans dominate the ballot.The three-day vote, which began on Friday, will determine all 450 seats in the State Duma. President Vladimir Putin has cast the election as a demonstration of national unity and support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Most anti-war candidates have been excluded, while the ruling United Russia party is expected to retain its dominant position.Yabloko squeezed out of national raceThe biggest blow to the anti-war camp came in August, when Russia’s Supreme Court barred liberal Yabloko from fielding a national party list.