Kremlin consolidates power as Russia's economic pain mounts

Russia's parliamentary election delivered United Russia its largest majority ever (349 of 450 seats), with ~50 war veterans entering the Duma, amid documented manipulation and public war fatigue. The result signals Putin's firm control despite economic strain, but the regime's reliance on managed politics and veterans suggests a hardening posture. The outcome is unlikely to alter Russia's war trajectory or economic policy, but it consolidates the Kremlin's domestic position.