The president Vladimir Putin inaugurated this Wednesday the ninth legislature of the State Duma —the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament— with a clear call to continue the war against Ukraine, demanding that the new deputies dedicate all their efforts to achieving military victory.
You are called to pay special attention to matters of state importance, such as strengthening the country's defense and doing everything for our victory, stated the leader from the parliamentary podium, reported the agency EFE.
The inaugural session took place 10 days after the legislative elections held from September 18 to 20, in which the ruling party United Russia secured between 349 and 355 of the 450 seats, ensuring a constitutional majority.
The elections were reported as fraudulent by international observers and opposition members, who highlighted the lack of real competition and multiple irregularities, according to reports from international media.
Putin had turned those elections into an implicit endorsement of the continuation of the invasion, and now he is transferring that alleged popular mandate to the new chamber, despite the significant toll that the war is imposing on Russia.
In human terms, the figures are devastating. The Ukrainian General Staff reported over 1.5 million Russian casualties —including dead, wounded, missing, and captured— as of September 11, and British intelligence confirmed that Russia had exceeded half a million soldiers killed in combat.
A journalistic investigation identified at least 258,000 deceased Russian soldiers by name, a figure that represents only the individually documented cases.
Only in July, Russia recorded 42,860 casualties in a single month, the worst monthly record up to that point since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Tuesday that Russia had initiated a new covert mobilization following the elections, indicating that the Kremlin urgently needs to replenish its troops.
In the economic front, the outlook is equally grim. According to an analysis by El País, Russian spending on defense, security, and espionage now accounts for almost half of the total public budget, with a 30% increase just in the first half of 2026.
The revised budget deficit for this year amounts to 7.3 trillion rubles, equivalent to 3.2% of GDP, while the Russian Central Bank has lowered its growth forecast to between 0% and 1%, with projected inflation between 6% and 7%.
Ukraine, for its part, has systematically targeted Russian energy infrastructure: it attacked 24 out of 34 major refineries in the country between January and July, disabling more than 45% of refining capacity.
On September 20 —the same day as the last Russian election— a massive drone attack completely halted the refinery in Kapotnia, Moscow's largest refinery.
Russian oil revenues fell by 45.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, and the country's sovereign fund plummeted from 6.5% to 1.8% of GDP since the beginning of the invasion.
Putin has repeatedly rejected any proposals for a ceasefire or direct negotiations with Ukraine in 2026, betting on prolonging a war that, according to data, is mortgaging Russia's economic and human future.
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