Ukraine warns Russia may stage false-flag attacks during illegal Duma voting

The service described Russia as the aggressor state and stressed that holding Russian elections in the temporarily occupied territories is illegal. It said Russia hopes such provocations will justify repression against local residents, discredit Ukraine and derail the U.S.-mediated peace process.

Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said there is a high likelihood that such scenarios could unfold during State Duma voting on Sept. 18–20 in the temporarily occupied parts of Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as Crimea:

• Bombings of polling stations or ballot collection points outside operating hours to avoid mass casualties among Russian propagandists while still producing the desired image of a “destroyed polling station.”
• Sabotage targeting transportation or infrastructure used to transport election commission members, followed by claims that Ukrainian drones or sabotage groups were responsible.
• Assassination attempts against collaborators — heads of occupation election commissions or parliamentary candidates who actively demonstrate their loyalty to the occupiers.

The Foreign Intelligence Service advised residents of the temporarily occupied territories to avoid crowds as much as possible, along with so-called polling stations, administrative buildings involved in the voting process and Russian military infrastructure, on Sept. 17–21, 2026.

On Aug. 13, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry warned observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States against visiting Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by Russia, where Russia plans to illegally hold voting in the State Duma elections.

On Aug. 10, Russia’s Supreme Court canceled the registration of the Yabloko party’s federal list of candidates for the State Duma elections. Yabloko was the only party to campaign on anti-war slogans.