EU condemns 'erosion of democracy' in Russia after Duma vote

The Council of the European Union said it deplored a "continuing and growing erosion of democracy" in Russia following the country's legislative elections, according to Le Monde.

The EU body also condemned as "illegal" the holding of the vote in occupied Ukrainian territories, the newspaper reported.

With about three-quarters of ballots counted, Vladimir Putin's party, United Russia, held a wide lead, according to Le Monde. Moscow's mayor said 1,600 Ukrainian drones had targeted the region over 24 hours, the report added.