SAINT-PETERSBURG, June 24. /TASS/. International observers from almost 150 countries are expected to monitor Russian State Duma elections this year, Senator Sergey Perminov, the chamber's plenipotentiary representative to the Central Election Commission, told TASS.

"The geography of independent observers will include almost 150 countries around the world. The main criteria are independence, objectivity, recognition of the country's sovereignty and the primacy of the norms of national electoral law," Perminov said.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, the politician noted that the upcoming Duma campaign will take place amid increasing external pressure, rapid dissemination of disinformation, the use of AI, deep fakes, fake exit polls, and attempts to cast doubt on the very result of citizens' vote.

The senator said that Russia's electoral system is "on the frontier of development": according to him, the country is ahead of many other nations in terms of technology, regulatory frameworks, and personnel training.