Live: Russian election enters final day in shadow of war in Ukraine

A parliamentary election that President Vladimir Putin has framed as a test of public support for Russia’s war in Ukraine entered its third and final day on Sunday. The ruling United Russia party is expected to maintain its dominance in a political system that critics say leaves little room for dissent. Follow the day’s developments as they unfold in our liveblog. At least two people killed in mass drone barrage on Moscow Hundreds of drones targeting Moscow and its surrounding region killed at least two people and damaged a major refinery on the final day of the country's parliamentary elections, the authorities said. The capital's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down, 450 of which were aimed at Moscow. He accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere with a tightly controlled three-day election that is set to tighten President Vladimir Putin's 26-year grip on power. "The unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections. The enemy did not succeed," he said on Telegram. Facility at Moscow oil refinery damaged in drone attack, TASS reports A facility on the premises of the Moscow oil refinery was damaged as a result of a drone attack on the Russian capital, state news agency TASS reported on Sunday, citing Moscow's mayor. No casualties were reported, the report said. Russian election, cast as test of support for Ukraine war, enters final day A parliamentary election that President Vladimir Putin has cast as a test of support for Russia's war in Ukraine entered its third and final day on Sunday, with the ruling United Russia party expected to retain its dominance in a political system critics say does not tolerate dissent. The State Duma vote, the first since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, is likely to be presented by the Kremlin as evidence of public backing for Putin's policies and for the war, Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two, now in its fifth year with no sign of ending soon. The United States approved a potential $2.68 billion sale of air defense equipment to Ukraine on Friday, after Kyiv made repeated pleas for support to fend off Russian attacks. A Russian glide bomb hit an apartment building in the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Friday, killing two people and injuring seven, three of them in serious condition. Russia’s parliamentary election for the first time included residents of regions that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine after the start of its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago. [Image text:] Hawa OCUnOB ANEKCEN CEPrEEB