• Russia's Central Election Commission has approved the opposition liberal party Yabloko to contest September's parliamentary elections, making it the only party openly campaigning against the country's war in Ukraine.
• Central Election Commission chair Ella Pamfilova stated that Russia now has "two poles" - those who support the war and those who oppose it - leaving the decision up to voters in the upcoming elections.

The commission said it had unanimously approved Yabloko's list of 269 candidates for the State Duma elections, scheduled for September 18-20.

Yabloko members have long been outspoken critics of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and many have faced what supporters describe as political persecution and arbitrary prosecution.

The party is campaigning under the slogan "For Peace and Freedom."

"This is an important moment for Russia," Yabloko chairman Nikolai Rybakov said on Wednesday. "For the first time in five years, citizens have the opportunity to vote peacefully and safely for the future, for peace, for freedom and for a Russia without fear."

Rybakov himself had been barred from running. The party's electoral list is headed by Yaroslav Shcherbakov, who said voters now had an alternative while acknowledging the challenges ahead.

"There are no illusions, but there is hope," he said.

In previous elections, many Yabloko members were barred from standing. Central Election Commission chair Ella Pamfilova said Russia had "two poles" - those who support the war and those who oppose it - and that it was up to voters to decide between them.

Nine parties have now been registered to contest the State Duma elections, although 11 parties had sought to field candidates.