Moscow's electronic voting system faced significant cyberattacks during the parliamentary elections, according to officials. Vadim Kovalev, head of the Public Headquarters for Election Observation in Moscow, confirmed the attacks were repelled without disrupting the system's operation. The incident occurred as Russia held its first parliamentary elections since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Italian media reported similar claims, with Dmitry Reut, a Moscow election commission official, stating that external cyberattacks affected the city's electronic voting system and paper ballot distribution. The attacks coincided with the final day of voting, raising concerns about election security.
Meanwhile, video footage of President Vladimir Putin voting online from a pirated Windows computer went viral, highlighting the digital aspects of the election process. Opposition parties, including Yabloko, accused the government of pressuring their observers in over 20 regions, restricting access to polling stations and forcing them into police stations.
The situation underscores growing concerns about election integrity in Russia, with cybersecurity and political pressure emerging as key issues.
