Long-Form Worth Your Time
Russian voters handed ballot papers with an X for Putin (Dailymail)
Summary: Russian voters were handed ballot papers with an ‘X’ already marked in favour of Vladimir Putin’s party. The country began three days of voting on Friday in its first wartime parliamentary election, which features virtually no opposition. Voters in the city of Syktyvkar were mistakenly handed ballots already pre-marked with a cross in favour of Putin’s United Russia party, Communist Party candidate Oleg Mikhailov claimed. Elsewhere, footage emerged of a man in Voronezh, southwestern Russia, dropping multiple voting slips into a ballot box. A similar incident was documented in St Petersburg, where a polling-station staff member was filmed stuffing around 100 voting papers into a box.
Why it matters: The election follows a summer of Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on oil refineries that triggered a widespread fuel crisis. The damage has exacerbated problems for the Russian economy and brought the war home for millions.
Context: The group, which is the only registered political entity that dared to criticise the war, was removed from the ballot last month by Russia’s Supreme Court. This has prevented voters from being able to cast a ballot for a candidate opposing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, some anti-war politicians have been imprisoned or forced to flee abroad ahead of the campaign.
"Russian voters are being handed ballot papers with an ‘X’ already marked in favour of Vladimir Putin’s party." — DAILYMAIL
Date: September 18, 2026 08:00 PM ET
URL: https://dailymail.com/news/article-16144065/Russian-voters-handed-ballot-papers-favour-Putin-party-elections.html
Generated Analysis Tone: Negative (83%)
Source Registry Score: 10.0/10 — High
Generated text and tone describe the analysis; the source registry score is not a factual truth rating.“Our Dear Friend Umar”: How We Uncovered That a Russian Oligarch Bankrolled Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding (Propublica)
Summary: ProPublica uncovered that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev secretly bankrolled much of Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding weekend in the Bahamas, including renting a private island, according to records reviewed by ProPublica and interviews with three people familiar with the events. The proof came from a photo posted on Instagram by a swimsuit model and friend of the bride, showing Kremlev in the back row. The wedding payments came from a Dubai entity affiliated with the International Boxing Association, a scandal-plagued sports group that Kremlev heads. Within hours of publication, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee opened an investigation into Trump Jr.’s relationship with Kremlev.
Why it matters: The story prompted the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee to open an investigation into Trump Jr.’s relationship with Kremlev, asking for communications between the two and records of "all purchases made for your wedding by foreign nationals."
Context: Kremlev’s ties to Putin and the Russian security services prompted the Ukrainian government to impose sanctions on him personally. The IBA has been financed by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.
"The wedding payments came from a Dubai entity affiliated with the International Boxing Association, a scandal-plagued sports group that Kremlev heads." — PROPUBLICA
Date: September 19, 2026 05:00 AM ET
URL: https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-wedding-umar-kremlev-reporting
Generated Analysis Tone: Neutral (50%)
Source Registry Score: 10.0/10 — High
Generated text and tone describe the analysis; the source registry score is not a factual truth rating.Post ID: f9a73106