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The result of these local elections is scrutinized (here at the headquarters of the Moscow Elections Center) because of the opposition's strategy, Moscow on September 9, 2019. Alexander Shcherbak \ TASS via Getty

This is a serious setback for the ruling party in Russia. United Russia lost 15 seats it held in the Moscow Duma. These local elections were closely watched after the manfilations of the summer, and the exclusion of a large part of the opposition candidates. It reacted by calling for a vote "useful" against the ruling party ... A strategy that seems to have borne fruit

with our correspondent in Moscow, Daniel Vallot

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin will retain his majority in the city's parliament - but the verdict of the polls is very harsh for the authorities. Of the 40 seats held so far by United Russia, only 25 have been retained. A true snub to the ruling party, its Moscow leader Andrei Metelsky lost his seat, a seat he had held since the early 2000s.

Within the opposition only the Yabloko party had been able to present three candidates - all were elected.

For Alexei Navalny, this result is proof that his call for a "smart vote" has worked. After the exclusion of his candidates, who had not been polled by the Electoral Commission, the leader of the opposition had asked his supporters to vote for the candidate best positioned against the candidate of power - regardless of his affiliation.

A strategy that no doubt contributed to this electoral disavowal for the authorities - but which also benefited the Communist Party. The formation thus wins 13 seats in the municipal Duma.

► To read also : Municipal in Russia, for the opposition, everything except "United Russia"