The 2026 Russian State Duma convocation "is already being conceived in the Kremlin as a post-war one," according to sources.
“It will be very different from the current one,” the report claims.
About a quarter of the new deputies, or 100 out of 450, are expected to be elected from among those involved in the war against Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that the military should become the "real elite" of Russia. The order to appoint war veterans to government positions is reportedly coming directly from him, the publication notes.
A deputy who spoke with the outlet said that "electing" war veterans to the State Duma is the easiest way to showcase their integration into the “powerless representative government.” Candidates backed by the Kremlin among the military will likely be nominated by United Russia.
A source close to party leadership noted that electing “veterans” could be challenging. In 2024, many ran for regional legislative assemblies but failed in the primaries. A major concern for the Russian authorities is whether deputies from the military will be easily controlled.
Earlier, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War highlighted that Russian officials involved in negotiations with the U.S. continue to demand that any peace agreement to resolve the war in Ukraine be based on Russia’s 2021 conditions, including the surrender of territories and cities now controlled by Ukraine, home to over a million people.