Sensing frustration among many Russians towards the Ukraine war Russia ’s liberal Yabloko party is hoping to use parliamentary elections this September to raise its profile, casting itself as the only opposition group in favour of a ceasefire. Elections in Russia are tightly controlled – every parliamentary vote since 2003 has been won by the ruling “United Russia” party, which supports President Vladimir PutinYabloko is unlikely to win any seats. A poll conducted earlier this year showed it at just three per cent support – short of the five-per cent threshold needed to enter Russia’s lower house State Duma. Founded in 1993 by a group of pro-Western public officials, Yabloko enjoyed relative success in the years following the post-Soviet collapse. Since 2003, however, it has failed to win seats in the State Duma.