This webinar reconstructs the September 2026 State Duma elections as a single arc from campaign to consequence. It opens with the pre-election environment: a Kremlin managing the vote as a loyalty exercise rather than a contest, leaning on administrative pressure, censorship, and disinformation to project nationwide backing for a ruling party whose real support had fallen into the low-to-mid thirties amid inflation, war fatigue, and casualty strain, while independent civic efforts such as Perezagruzka2026 pushed a competing narrative of fairness and normal life.
It then turns to election day, assessing how the vote was conducted and where the gap between manufactured and actual support became visible.
The final segment analyzes the results and their broader consequences: how the outcome will shape the trajectory of the war in Ukraine, including the regime’s capacity for further military escalation or sustained mobilization, the long-term sustainability of Putin’s regime, and the continued tightening of dictatorship at home.
Václav Malík is a Czech security and foreign policy expert at the Prague‑based Center for an Informed Society. He brings extensive professional experience in national security affairs and previously served as a Senior Analyst at the European Values Center for Security Policy. His work focuses on Russia, the post‑Soviet region, hybrid threats, and Russian influence operations.
Egor Kuroptev
Egor Kuroptev is a Russian exiled media manager and political expert with over 20 years of experience in communications, democratic development, and countering disinformation. He began his career at Echo of Moscow in 2003, later producing major political media projects in Russia before relocating to Georgia in 2012.
From 2013 to 2021, he led the Georgian TV company STV, promoting cooperation between Georgia, Ukraine, NATO, and the EU. He also directed the project “Information in Russian Against Kremlin Disinformation” (2017–2022) and founded the South Caucasus Dialogue Platform (2022), aimed at connecting the region with the West and reducing Kremlin influence.
Since 2017, Kuroptev has worked with U.S. and European governments and international partners on Kremlin disinformation, hybrid threats, and strategic messaging. He has trained participants of U.S. government programs (2018 – 2023) and authored over 200 analytical reports on influence operations.
From 2019 to 2024, he headed the Free Russia Foundation’s South Caucasus office, supporting thousands of Russian and Belarusian exiles. Since 2022, Kuroptev has directed the Strategic Communications Centre, coordinating rapid responses to Russian information warfare and advising Western institutions. He also leads the Coalition Against Propaganda, a network of exiled Russian media professionals producing fact-based content that reaches millions.
Kuroptev is also the co-founder of humanitarian initiatives such as LifeLine.ge and the Strength in Unity summer camp, which support Ukrainian refugees and Georgian children near occupation lines with aid and free summer programs in Georgia.
