The administration lowered expectations for United Russia's victory as public fatigue with the war in Ukraine mounts.

The administration lowered its expectations for the ruling party, United Russia, ahead of the September State Duma elections. While initial targets were as high as 60% of the vote, the administration announced a revised KPI of at least 45% for many regions. This shift reflects growing public fatigue regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has resulted in significant economic strain, including fuel shortages and rising prices. To manage public perception, the administration is seeking to legitimize the results by avoiding excessive pressure on regional officials to deliver high numbers. By lowering the targets, the administration aims to create a more realistic and politically correct result that minimizes the appearance of heavy-handed vote-rigging. Despite the lowered expectations, the ruling party still aims to secure a constitutional majority. The administration's concessions acknowledge the current socioeconomic climate, where high costs of war and a decrease in public approval for the president have contributed to a more cautious electoral strategy.

Sources

• The Daily Beast
  Putin Scrambles to Silence Opposition as His Humiliating Crisis Escalates
• The Moscow Times
  Regions Calling: Russia’s Independent Candidates Face Their Toughest Election Yet
• uatv.ua
  The Kremlin Is Preparing for Elections It Fears More Than Sanctions — Intelligence
• Meduza
  As support for Putin slips, the Kremlin lowers the ruling party’s election target amid fears a landslide victory would look suspicious