Russia’s tightly managed parliamentary elections moved into their second day amid claims of a major digital assault on Moscow’s electronic voting platform.
Officials said the system faced “powerful” cyberattacks overnight, though they offered no specifics. Ella Pamfilova, chair of Russia’s Central Election Commission, did not describe the nature of the attack or identify who might be behind it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Ukraine of trying to “hinder” the vote. Kyiv has not responded to the allegation, but has described the election as farcical.
The ballot is being held under strict political controls. Only parties backing Mr Putin and the Kremlin’s military campaign have been cleared to run, and voting is also taking place in parts of east Ukraine under Russian occupation.
“All night long, the Moscow system was subjected to a very powerful, continuous attack,” Ms Pamfilova was quoted as saying by Russia’s state RIA news agency.
“This attack is ongoing — it is happening practically non-stop,” she said.
The election will determine all 450 seats in Russia’s lower house, the State Duma, and is scheduled to continue until Sunday evening.
Read more: Election in Russia will be a vote with few surprises
With the ruling United Russia party widely expected to win again, the multi-day vote is still seen as a snapshot of public sentiment toward the war and the government.
In Moscow, one voter told AFP she was worried about the economy.
“Many people have lost their jobs. Wages are now falling rather than rising,” said Diana, 30.
Another voter, Tatiana, 71, said she backed United Russia.
“It is the largest party, the hardest-working and most productive,” she said.
