Key facts
- Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western countries of attempting to politically destabilize Russia.
- Putin stated the West failed to defeat Russia militarily and is now trying to sow internal unrest.
- He reiterated claims of Ukrainian 'terrorist acts'.
- The State Duma elections are scheduled for September.
- The upcoming elections are the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- Russia faces domestic challenges including slowing economic growth and fuel shortages.
Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged on June 28 that Western countries are attempting to politically destabilize Russia, an accusation made as the Kremlin ramps up preparations for this fall's State Duma elections. Speaking at a congress of the ruling United Russia party, Putin said the West had failed to defeat Russia "on the battlefield" and was therefore trying to "stir up the political situation and sow internal unrest." Putin provided no evidence to back up his claims. He also repeated unsubstantiated allegations that Ukraine had resorted to "terrorist acts" because its forces were allegedly pulling back along the front line. While Russia has stepped up its summer offensive in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine recaptured more territory than it lost in May, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. At the same time, Kyiv has used its long-range strikes to target military sites and economic infrastructure used to sustain Russia's war effort. Putin also praised Russian soldiers fighting against Ukraine as the country's "true elite" and said the State Duma elections would take place as scheduled in September. The remarks come less than three months before Russia's parliamentary elections, the first since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While elections in Russia offer little genuine political competition, the Kremlin has sought to secure a strong showing for the ruling United Russia party to reinforce Putin's legitimacy. The vote comes as Russia faces mounting domestic pressures, including slowing economic growth, fuel shortages in dozens of regions, repeated internet shutdowns, and increasingly frequent Ukrainian long-range strikes deep inside Russia. Analysts say the erosion of the stability long promised by the Kremlin could complicate efforts to mobilize voter support for United Russia.