STORY: Russians headed to the polls on Sunday (September 20) for the final day of a parliamentary election widely cast as a test of public support for President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

Early on Sunday morning, electoral workers at a Moscow polling station prepared for the day's vote, sealing empty ballot boxes and fastening security tags, as voters arrived to cast both paper and electronic ballots, with some consulting banners displaying election candidates before entering booths.

The State Duma vote, the first since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, is expected to see the ruling United Russia party easily retain its dominance in a political system critics say does not tolerate dissent. The Kremlin is likely to present the outcome as evidence of public backing for Putin's policies and for the war, Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two, now in its fifth year with no sign of ending soon.

The final day of voting was also marked by what Moscow's mayor described as the biggest ever Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian capital, in what he called an unsuccessful attempt to disrupt the election.

Two people were killed in the surrounding Moscow region and the capital's oil refinery - which has been hit before - was struck, local authorities said. Reuters witnesses heard blasts in Moscow and saw plumes of smoke billowing from the refinery site. It was not clear what damage the facility had sustained. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 20, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. ELECTORAL WORKERS GATHERING TO PREPARE POLLING STATION AHEAD OF FINAL DAY OF PARLIAMENTARY VOTE

2. ELECTORAL WORKERS CROSSING CHECKING CODE ON TAG, FASTENING TAG ON BOX

3. ELECTORAL WORKERS SHOWING EMPTY BALLOT BOX BEFORE SEALING IT

4. TAGS SEALING BALLOT BOX

5. VOTERS ARRIVING

6. BANNER SHOWING ELECTION CANDIDATES

7. VOTERS LEAVING AFTER CASTING ELECTRONIC BALLOT

8. VOTER HANDING OVER IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT TO ELECTORAL WORKER FOR REGISTRATION

9. PERSON LOOKING AT BANNER SHOWING ELECTION CANDIDATES

10. VOTER EXITING FROM BOOTH, CASTING PAPER BALLOT / COAT OF ARMS OF RUSSIA ON BALLOT BOX

11. ELECTORAL WORKER (LEFT) HELPING VOTER TO REGISTER VIA ELECTRONIC MACHINE BEFORE WALKING AWAY TO LET HIM CAST HIS VOTE

12. VOTER LEAVING AFTER CASTING ELECTRONIC VOTE

13. ELECTORAL WORKERS TALKING