The Kremlin prevented the only anti-war party from taking part in the Duma election, according to Russian opposition leader Ilja Jasjin, 43, who is living in exile. He says the move reflects the leadership’s fear that public opposition to the war is stronger than it appears.

Jasjin argues that Russians actually want the war to end. In the account carried by HBL, the statement also highlights how tightly political space in Russia has been narrowed, with opposition voices pushed out of the electoral process.