DOMINANT ANGLE
Tallinn deems the Russian vote illegitimate: Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna speaks of a "political performance" orchestrated by Vladimir Putin, as Russians vote at his embassy at the very moment of the largest drone attack on Moscow.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna describes the State Duma elections as a "political performance orchestrated by Putin", neither free nor fair
- 02
Yabloko, the only registered party with a pacifist platform, was banned from the election by the Russian Supreme Court the previous month, and no OSCE observer was invited
- 03
Russian citizens voted at the Russian Embassy in Tallinn this weekend while a protest denouncing illegal elections was held in front of the building
ANALYSIS
Tallinn, September 21, 2026. As the Russian Central Election Commission announces the victory of United Russia with 57.5% of the vote, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna states: "this political performance orchestrated by Putin bears no resemblance to free elections." For Tallinn, the assessment of this legislative election — the first since the outbreak of the war against Ukraine — remains unchanged since the beginning of the process.
Tsahkna lists the reasons for this judgment: severe restrictions imposed on the opposition and its supporters, exclusion of candidates deemed unacceptable by the authorities, biased registration conditions, and criminal prosecutions. He cites the ban on Yabloko, the only registered party to advocate a pacifist platform, as "a revealing example of the Kremlin's determination to preserve its power monopoly." No independent international observers were allowed, with the OSCE not being invited. The minister also condemns the holding of the election in occupied Ukrainian territories — Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson — which he describes as a violation of international law and Ukrainian sovereignty.
The vote also took place at the Russian embassy in Tallinn, where Russian citizens residing in Estonia cast their ballots over the weekend, despite the lack of real democratic choice. "I don't trust the results, but I think it's important not to lose the habit," says Anna, a voter. Nina, on the other hand, says she mainly voted against United Russia. A demonstration was held in front of the embassy; a participant, Daniil, recounts that Russian retirees called them "fascists."
The last day of the election coincided with what Moscow presents as its largest drone attack: according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, over 1,600 drones were shot down across the front since the previous day, including 450 near Moscow, where a refinery was hit. Two people died in the Moscow oblast, and two others in Sumy. Washington, on its part, has signed a law strengthening sanctions against Russia and approved a $2.68 billion sale of anti-aircraft armaments to Ukraine.
SOURCES (4)
- ERRMEDIUM
- ERR NewsMEDIUM
- ERR NewsMEDIUM
- OhtulehtMEDIUM
