Russian war veterans take Duma seats as Putin party shifts to ex-combatants

Putin's United Russia party is replacing cultural and sports figures in the Duma with veterans of the Ukraine war, signaling a consolidation of military-aligned political elites. The move reflects a broader trend of elevating combat experience as a political credential amid the ongoing conflict. It may indicate a hardening of the regime's domestic posture and a shift in the composition of the ruling party's parliamentary wing.