Moscow Authorities Skip Attack Warnings to Boost Voter Turnout

Russians were not informed about the largest attack: ISW explained what the Kremlin was afraid of.

Moscow region authorities did not sound air raid sirens or send out SMS warnings about the threat of an attack.

During the massive drone attack on Moscow on September 20, Russian authorities did not specifically issue any warnings, either with sirens or SMS notifications.

According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the reason is simple: a reluctance to disrupt turnout on the final day of voting in the State Duma elections.

A large explosion at a factory producing thick black smoke and flames, captured during sunset.

“On September 20, the final day of voting in the State Duma elections, Moscow region authorities did not activate air raid sirens or send out SMS warnings about the threat of an attack—even though they had done so previously, even during significantly smaller strikes,” the analysts’ report states.

However, as ISW noted, Russian authorities resorted to their usual maneuver – restricting mobile communications, this time without even bothering to officially explain the reason.

Interestingly, residents of the Moscow region complained on Governor Andrei Vorobyov’s Telegram channel about the lack of warnings about the air strike, but this only lasted until the comments section of the channel was closed.

From all this, ISW analysts concluded that the Kremlin prioritized high voter turnout over public safety.

(c)UNIAN 2026