Russia's parliamentary election is for the first time being held among residents of four regions that Moscow annexed from Ukraine, a step described in reports as part of Kremlin efforts to cement its gains.

The regions are Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which Russian officials often refer to as the "new regions." Russian authorities say those territories have more than 3.5 million voters.

Officials in Kyiv vigorously denounced the action as illegal. A human rights activist described residents in the areas as being coerced to participate in the election.

Voting across Russia began Friday (September 18, 2026) and runs until Sunday (September 20, 2026), a schedule intended to help boost turnout. Balloting in the annexed parts of Ukraine, along with some areas on the Russian side of the border, has been underway since the end of last month. Officials cited security reasons for the extended voting period.

The vote comes more than four and a half years after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after which Moscow annexed the four regions.