Russian authorities reported massive cyberattacks targeting voting systems and communication lines across the country on Saturday (the 19th), the second day of parliamentary elections, according to local and international news agencies.
By 15:06 Moscow time (09:06 Brasília time), turnout for the State Duma elections stood at 35.55%, according to the RIA Novosti agency.
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The voting system came under heavy attack overnight, but authorities said the situation was under control, according to Reuters. The agency reports that the Ministry of Digital Affairs of Russia registered an attempted sabotage of communication lines in the country’s far east, but the attack was foiled and communications services were restored.
Cyberattacks did not cease, but are being repelled successfully, according to a statement by Ella Pamfilova, the chairwoman of the Central Election Commission, as reported by the Russian portal Izvestia.
Additionally, Olga Kirillova, head of the Moscow City Election Commission, confirmed that terminals were deactivated for a brief period on the first day of the election and attributed the fact to a possible hacker attack, but highlighted the absence of complaints from residents of the capital about potential violations of their electoral rights.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of trying to interfere in the vote, without providing evidence. Putin’s statement comes in the context that this is the first election to the State Duma since Russia began its large-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022. It is widely expected that the pro-Putin governing party, United Russia, will maintain its dominance in the Russian political system.
