Overnight Ukrainian drones dominated state coverage, with reports of 10 then 10 then 15 shot down bound for Moscow, more than 350 headed toward the Moscow region, a second strike in two days on the Rostov-on-Don military airfield and a drone falling on the Kursk NPP-2 cooling tower.

Voting in the State Duma election took over. State outlets framed it as historic voting under extreme conditions with frontline voting, 50% online turnout and over 29% on day one, capped by Putin voting online, while exile outlets stressed lack of choice, drone disruptions in the south and occupied areas, and polls calling the vote dishonest.

By evening attention turned to the wartime economy: the seizure of Auchan and Nestle assets as the largest in two years, EU retreat on frozen assets, and Kremlin denials of post-election mobilization after Bloomberg reports of elite flight, alongside Putin's denial of aggressive intent toward Europe.