--- title: "Five Countries Condemn Russian Elections in Occupied Ukraine" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/five-countries-condemn-russian-elections-in-occupied-ukraine" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/five-countries-condemn-russian-elections-in-occupied-ukraine" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/five-countries-condemn-russian-elections-in-occupied-ukraine.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/five-countries-condemn-russian-elections-in-occupied-ukraine" category: "Politics" area: "Ukraine" published: "2026-09-21T16:25:12.699Z" source_reported: "2026-09-21T15:43:00.000Z" updated: "2026-09-21T16:25:12.699Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-21T16:15:25.733142+00:00" --- # Five Countries Condemn Russian Elections in Occupied Ukraine *Joint statement calls the vote a 'sham' and a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Five countries issued a joint statement, and the UK's Foreign Office provided further detail. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. The reporting clearly separates the joint statement from other news about sanctions. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The language used is measured and proportionate to the events described. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Five countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia, condemned Russia-organised elections in occupied parts of Ukraine. - The joint statement described the elections as a 'sham' and a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. - The elections took place in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. - The UK's Foreign Office stated these elections are part of a wider system of occupation. Five countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, have condemned elections organised by Russia in occupied Ukrainian territories. In a joint statement, these nations called the vote a 'sham' and a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, as well as the UN Charter. The elections were held in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, specifically Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The UK's Foreign Office stated that these elections are part of a wider system of occupation, which includes the imposition of Russian administration, law, media, education, language, and citizenship, supported by coercion and repression. The statement also called for accountability for those involved in organising the election and reaffirmed support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. ## Election results Preliminary results indicated that United Russia won 355 out of 450 seats in the Duma, the Russian lower house of parliament. This outcome would grant the party a super-majority, surpassing its previous record set in 2016. ## Coverage comparison ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports below mention the preliminary results showing United Russia winning 355 out of 450 seats in the Duma. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 14% (1) - Centre: 29% (2) - Right: 57% (4) 8 of 15 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-21T16:15:25.733142+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-21T16:30:31.278Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The Daily Mirror reported that Vladimir Putin's United Russia party won a record number of seats in the country's lower house of Parliament. It quoted the joint statement from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway, which condemned Russia's elections as a 'sham' and a 'gross violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence'. ### Centre - 15min.lt reported that five countries, including the UK, Australia, and Canada, condemned the elections, calling them part of a wider occupation system. Le Devoir noted that Canada and four other countries denounced the vote as a 'flagrant violation of the sovereignty and independence' of Ukraine. ### Right - Right-rated reports from dagelijksestandaard.nl, Reformatorisch Dagblad, Anadolu Ajansı, and El Debate focused on the condemnation of the 'sham elections' in Ukrainian territories by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom. El Debate also mentioned Brussels rejecting the outcome due to an 'erosion of democracy'. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 4 - unknown: 8 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Le Devoir](https://ledevoir.com/monde/europe/1010648/canada-quatre-pays-denoncent-simulacre-elections-zones-occupees-ukraine) — Canada and Four Countries Denounce a "Simulacre of Elections" in... - [insider.gr](https://insider.gr/politiki/425600/dytikes-hores-katadikazoyn-tis-rosikes-ekloges-se-katehomena-apo-ti-rosia-oykranika) — Western Countries Condemn Russian Elections in Russian-Occupied Ukrainian Territories - [Nieuws.nl](https://nieuws.nl/buitenland/landen-veroordelen-schijnverkiezingen-in-oekraiense-gebieden) — Countries Condemn 'Sham Elections' in Ukrainian Territories - [welingelichtekringen.nl](https://welingelichtekringen.nl/samenleving/landen-veroordelen-schijnverkiezingen-in-oekraiense-gebieden) — Countries Condemn 'Sham Elections' in Ukrainian Territories - [dagelijksestandaard.nl](https://dagelijksestandaard.nl/nieuws/landen-veroordelen-schijnverkiezingen-in-oekraiense-gebieden) — Countries Condemn 'Sham Elections' in Ukrainian Territories - [Business Daily](https://businessdaily.gr/diethni/233373_dytikes-hores-katadikazoyn-tis-rosikes-ekloges-se-katehomena-oykranika-edafi) — Western Condemnation of Russian Elections in Occupied Ukrainian Territories - [Reformatorisch Dagblad](https://rd.nl/a/landen-veroordelen-schijnverkiezingen-in-oekraiense-gebieden) — Countries Condemn ‘Sham Elections’ in Ukrainian Territories - [15min.lt](https://15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/pasaulis/penkios-salys-pasmerke-rusijos-surengtus-rinkimus-okupuotose-ukrainos-dalyse-57-2768482) — Five Countries Condemn Russia-Organized Elections in Occupied Parts of Ukraine - [Anadolu Ajansı](https://aa.com.tr/en/eurasia/australia-canada-new-zealand-norway-uk-condemn-russian-sham-elections-in-occupied-ukraine/4063218) — Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, UK Condemn Russian 'Sham' Elections in 'Occupied' Ukraine - [Daily Mirror](https://mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/putin-wins-record-number-seats-37685033) — Putin wins record number of seats as UK joins countries blasting 'sham' election - [aftenbladet.no](https://aftenbladet.no/utenriks/i/n1o95n/norge-fordoemmer-russlands-valg-i-russisk-okkuperte-ukrainske-omraader) — Norway Condemns Russia's Elections in Russian-Occupied Ukrainian Territories - [Nettavisen](https://nettavisen.no/nyheter/norge-fordommer-russlands-valg-i-russisk-okkuperte-ukrainske-omrader/s/80-95-95844) — Norway Condemns Russia's Elections in Russian-Occupied Ukrainian Territories - [Haberler](https://haberler.com/guncel/ingiltere-kanada-avustralya-yeni-zelanda-ve-norvec-20257264-haberi) — UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway Condemn Duma Elections - [El Debate](https://eldebate.com/internacional/20260921/bruselas-rechaza-resultado-elecciones-rusas-creciente-continua-erosion-democracia_460895.html) — Brussels Rejects the Outcome of the Russian Elections because of the "Growing and Continuing Erosion of Democracy" - [GOV.UK](https://gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-on-russias-sham-elections-in-ukraines-temporarily-occupied-territories) — Joint statement on Russia’s sham elections in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories ## Questions **Which countries condemned the Russian elections in occupied Ukraine?** The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway jointly condemned the elections. They issued a statement calling the vote a 'sham' and a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. **Where were the Russian elections held?** The elections were held in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. These include Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. **What was the outcome of the elections in Russia's parliament?** Preliminary results showed that United Russia won 355 out of 450 seats in the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament. This result would give the party a super-majority. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/five-countries-condemn-russian-elections-in-occupied-ukraine. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Five Countries Condemn Russian Elections in Occupied Ukraine", https://mediabias.news/politics/five-countries-condemn-russian-elections-in-occupied-ukraine