Russian citizens in Portugal limited to single polling station for Duma elections
Russian citizens living in Portugal will only be able to vote at a single location in this weekend's legislative elections, after the Russian Embassy in Lisboa cancelled mobile voting provisions and blamed the Portuguese government for the restriction.
The embassy announced on Wednesday that voting will take place only at the embassy building, on Sunday between 8:00 and 20:00 local time. Russians residing in or visiting Portugal must travel to the diplomatic mission in the capital to cast their ballots.
Staff reductions cited as cause
In a statement published on social media, the Russian diplomatic mission said it was unable to organise mobile voting due to reduced personnel at the embassy. The statement attributed this to what it called the "hostile attitude" of the Portuguese state.
Mobile voting would typically allow Russian citizens in other parts of Portugal to vote without travelling to Lisboa. The restriction means those outside the capital face a journey of several hours if they wish to participate.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In April that year, Portugal expelled ten Russian embassy staff, stating none were career diplomats. The Russian press attaché in Lisboa, Aleksei Chekmarev, declared in August that Portugal was "one of the most hostile countries in Europe" toward Moscow, citing Portuguese support for Kyiv and sanctions.
Diplomatic tensions shape voting logistics
The reduction in diplomatic staff stems from broader mutual expulsions and the ongoing alignment of Portugal with European Union and NATO positions on Russia. In December 2025, Moscow formally terminated a military cooperation agreement with Portugal signed in 2000, citing Portuguese "hostile actions".
This weekend's elections will select 450 deputies to the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, for five-year terms. It is the first legislative election since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the first to include residents of four Ukrainian regions Russia claimed to annex that year.
The ruling United Russia party currently dominates the Duma and seeks to hold at least 300 seats — the two-thirds majority needed to approve constitutional amendments without support from other parties.
Yabloko, a liberal opposition party, was barred by the Supreme Court from running a national list, though some of its candidates are participating in single-mandate districts.
Friction on the ground for Russian residents
For Russian citizens in Portugal, the practical effect is clear: those outside Lisboa must either travel to the capital or rely on electronic voting methods that opposition figures have denounced as vulnerable to fraud.
The embassy said in its statement that it expected Russian citizens to understand the situation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed voters on Wednesday, urging participation as a contribution to "Russia's victory" and a response to those seeking to "weaken" the country. Quoted in the source materials, he said: "Participation in the elections is our joint contribution to the victory of Russia. This will be our joint response to those who want to weaken Russia, contain its development and deprive us of sovereignty and the right to independently choose our destiny."
Meanwhile, diplomatic friction continues. The Russian ambassador to Portugal, Mikhail Kamynin, was summoned by Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel after Germany accused Russia of direct responsibility for a drone incident at Leipzig airport in August 2026. Kamynin denied Russian involvement, according to Euronews.
