Russian state officials say ruling party United Russia won 58% in last weekend’s parliamentary election. Independent analysts estimate it was really 34–35% without manipulation.

Judging by the reports presented to Vladimir Putin, the recent parliamentary election must have gone very well: turnout was the highest since 2011, United Russia secured the largest State Duma faction in its history, and there were almost no irregularities. But independent analyses paint a very different picture from the one presented by the Central Election Commission: reported turnout was inflated by ballot stuffing and the authorities’ heavy use of state resources; more than half the votes recorded for United Russia appear to have been fabricated; and widespread fraud benefiting the ruling