Russian regional communities were focused on the elections last week, but the discussions went far beyond them. Behind the campaign messages and celebratory coverage of the vote, there was a clear undercurrent of distrust and irony. Discussions about administrative pressure and the perception that the results had been decided in advance continued as well. In our new monitoring report, we examine how Russians discussed the elections before, during, and after the vote – and what lies behind this sense of “Groundhog Day.”

We also track reactions to the record drone attack on Moscow on the final night of voting, the ongoing fuel shortage, and the double standards surrounding access to communications and the internet. We also look at how these issues intersected with the election campaign and shaped perceptions of the authorities.

The monitoring covers September 14-20, 2026, and is based on an analysis of regional communities on VKontakte and Telegram.