The first session of Russia’s State Duma after the 2026 parliamentary elections opened with a 20-second standing ovation for the newly elected “participants in the special military operation.”

Veterans of the war in Ukraine now comprise just over 10% of the lower chamber of parliament. The Central Electoral Commission chief Ella Pamfilova declared that the new veteran members will “set a certain tone” for the new State Duma. That tone will be one of further militarization of Russian politics and society. It is also a reflection of the emergence of a new political constituency produced by the war against Ukraine. 

Like the wider process surrounding the vote, the number of veterans entering parliament was managed at the top. United Russia initially announced after voting had ended that 86 veterans from the party had been elected. This statement was quickly removed from state media and later revised to say that 49 United Russia veterans would take up their seats. 

On Sept. 25, Pamfilova confirmed the final number of veterans across all parties at 46, which broadly aligns with the 40-50 projected by Kremlin insiders back in May. These shifting figures suggest that veterans’ representation in parliament was a matter of managed political allocation rather than one left entirely to the electoral process. 

The latest election is part of a broader reshaping of Russia’s political system. In February 2024, Putin personally announced an ambitious new state project — the Time of Heroes program — designed to equip patriotic veterans for future service in senior government roles and top positions in state-linked companies.

Out of 83 participants admitted in the first cohort, reportedly selected from 44,000 applicants, three went on to become heads of Russian regions........

© The Moscow Times