MOSCOW — Russia’s ruling party has announced its slate of lead candidates for a parliamentary election set to take place this September, placing a wounded Ukraine war veteran and a state television correspondent at the top of the ticket.
At United Russia’s pre-election congress, party chairman and former president Dmitry Medvedev revealed that Vladislav Golovin, a veteran of the Ukraine conflict, and Yevgeny Poddubny, a war correspondent for state television, would head the party’s candidate list.
Golovin, 29, gained recognition through state media coverage beginning in 2022, when he served as a naval infantry platoon commander during the battle for the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol — a fight in which he sustained injuries. Poddubny was also wounded, suffering injuries in 2024 while covering combat in Russia’s Kursk region.
Rounding out the top five are Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin — both described as among Russia’s most prominent and well-regarded officials — and Maria Lvova-Belova, who serves as Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights.
United Russia has consistently captured large majorities in every national election it has entered, though polling data suggests the party is considerably less popular than President Vladimir Putin, who secured another presidential term in 2024 that keeps him in power through at least 2030.
Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and fuel supply disruptions caused by Ukrainian drone attacks, analysts expect United Russia to again win a commanding majority, aided by Putin’s backing and a parliamentary opposition that largely aligns with the Kremlin’s position on Ukraine.
While high-profile national figures frequently appear on United Russia’s candidate lists, they do not always claim seats in the lower chamber of parliament, known as the State Duma. Putin has spoken on multiple occasions about his desire to see Ukraine war veterans become part of Russia’s new political leadership class.
