Russian veterans of the Ukraine war feature prominently in State Duma election, but analysts question their path to real power
Nearly 200 candidates who served in Ukraine are running in Russia's State Duma election, which begins Friday and is the first parliamentary vote since the war started. The Kremlin has promoted these veterans as part of Russia's "true elite," describing them as a new generation of civic leaders. The election will also take place in areas of Ukraine that Russia captured and illegally annexed.
Single source · Not corroborated
The State Duma election opening Friday marks the first parliamentary vote in Russia since the war in Ukraine began more than four years ago. Election officials say nearly 200 candidates have served in Ukraine, and most Kremlin-aligned parties on the ballot include candidates identified as participants in what Russia calls its "special military operation." The vote will also be held in Ukrainian territories that Russia captured and illegally annexed.
Among the prominent candidates is Vladislav Golovin, 29, of the ruling United Russia party, who fought in the battle for Mariupol and lost part of his leg. Putin named him a Hero of Russia, the country's highest honor, and he participated in the 2024 "Time of Heroes" program, which prepares veterans for government careers. He now heads a military and patriotic youth organization called the Young Army and has appeared at events alongside Putin, though he also appears on Western sanctions lists.
Another leading United Russia candidate is Yevgeny Poddubny, a state television war correspondent wounded by a Ukrainian drone. The ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party has put forward Alexei Vereshchagin, described as having joined the Moscow-backed separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian police posted a photo in March identifying him as a subject of investigation for alleged home invasions and threats against civilians in the Kyiv region in 2022; he has not publicly commented on the allegations.