Russia began including residents of the four Ukrainian regions it annexed in 2022 in its State Duma parliamentary election for the first time this week.

The three-day national vote started on Friday and runs through Sunday. Balloting in the annexed areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, along with some Russian border zones, opened at the end of August for security reasons, officials said.

Russian authorities claim more than 3.5 million voters live in these territories, which Moscow refers to as its “new regions.” The areas were formally annexed in September 2022, though Russia does not control them fully and the annexation lacks international recognition.

President Vladimir Putin highlighted the significance of the vote in the regions during a speech on Wednesday, noting that residents there are participating for the first time since what he called their reunification with Russia. Russian soldiers fighting in the conflict are also eligible to vote.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry denounced the process as illegal and called on other countries and organizations not to recognize the results. Officials described it as a farce staged by the occupying power that creates no legal basis for extending Russian jurisdiction.

Human rights activists reported instances of coercion, including election officials visiting homes accompanied by armed Russian personnel. At one polling station in Russian-controlled Donetsk, voters cast ballots while an armed soldier stood nearby.

The election also covers Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Kyiv urged the international community to reject any outcomes from the occupied territories and warned of potential legal consequences for participants.

Russia’s United Russia party, backed by Putin, is expected to maintain dominance in the lower house of parliament following the vote.