Sergey Lavrov accuses the EU of preparing secret observers for Russia’s parliamentary elections

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the European Union was allegedly preparing special observers to secretly monitor elections for Russia’s State Duma, scheduled to take place from September 18 to 20, 2026. The statement was made in an interview with the online project “Sama Menshova” and quoted by the Russian news agency TASS.

Lavrov provided no evidence for the claim regarding the alleged secret EU mission. He argued that the West should reassess its own actions and referred to Ukraine’s 2004 presidential election, when the Constitutional Court allowed a third round of voting to be held, won by Viktor Yushchenko over Viktor Yanukovych.

The Russian minister also referred to Romania’s 2025 presidential election. He repeated the claim that a candidate favorable to national interests had been removed from the race, without providing further details or evidence. The elections in Russia will determine the deputies of the State Duma’s ninth legislature.

Translated slug: lavrov-eu-secret-observers-russia-elections