Russia: Cyberattack Hits Voting System

According to Central Election Commission chair Ella Pamfilova, the attack was intense and prolonged, but authorities said the system continued to operate normally.

Pamfilova said the authorities’ priority was to ensure that the elections were conducted properly and maintained public credibility.

A hacker group known as CikLeak claimed responsibility for breaching the servers, saying it wanted to draw attention to what it described as a lack of transparency in the electronic voting system.

The group claims the system could allow manipulation of election results. Russian authorities reject these allegations and say the electoral process is functioning normally.

Electronic voting plays a significant role in the elections, particularly in Moscow, where a large number of voters have chosen to cast their ballots online.

According to the Central Election Commission, around one-third of Russian voters had already cast their ballots during the first days of voting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also voted online, along with several senior government officials.

The parliamentary elections are being held over three days and will determine the composition of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament.

The United Russia party is seeking to retain its parliamentary majority in an election taking place against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and concerns raised by opposition figures over the transparency of the electoral process.