Russia's rigged election gives Putin a mandate for all-out war

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

Observers described the Sept. 18-20 parliamentary election as the "dirtiest" vote in Russia's modern history. In a country that has not held free and fair elections for nearly three decades, that might seem like a difficult result to achieve. All independent media were banned soon after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, ensuring a media landscape where no criticism of the authorities was allowed during elections. All genuine opposition parties were also banned from running. Even a mod