Russia's ruling party, United Russia, has won the country's parliamentary election, according to DIE ZEIT. The party of President Vladimir Putin was declared the winner by Russia's electoral commission, the German outlet taz.de reports.
The result was reported on Monday, 21 September 2026, a day after voting closed. The election was for the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament.
Coverage of the outcome has been sharply divided. The German broadcaster n-tv.de described the result in critical terms, saying the "war lord" had received the election outcome he ordered. DIE ZEIT and taz.de both led with the commission's announcement of the ruling party's victory.
Separately, the European Union has said it will impose additional sanctions on Russia following the Duma vote, according to Spiegel. The outlet did not specify in the summary what the new measures would cover or when they would take effect.
In other news from the region, FOCUS online reports that Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia. Moscow reported serious damage at an oil refinery and deaths in the capital region, according to the same outlet.
The Duma election result and the announced EU sanctions come amid the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine, which has shaped relations between Moscow and European capitals.
What to watch next: whether the EU publishes the details and timing of its new sanctions package, and how Moscow responds to the reported drone attack.
