Pro-Putin party wins Russian parliamentary election

The ruling United Russia party has won with 54.2% of the vote after 90% of ballots were counted on Monday in Russia's parliamentary election, data from the election commission showed.

The Communist party was in second place with 13.5% of the vote, followed by the Liberal Democrats party (LDPR) on 13.3% and the Just Russia party on 6.2%, according to the incomplete vote count.

However, low turnout suggested a softening of enthusiasm for the ruling elite 18 months before the next presidential election, Reuters reported.

Putin, speaking to United Russia campaign staff a few minutes after polling stations closed on Sunday night, said the win showed voters still trusted the leadership despite an economic slowdown made worse by Western sanctions over Ukraine.

Putin's aides are likely to use the result as a springboard for his own campaign for re-election in 2018, though he has not yet confirmed that he will seek another term.

"We can say with certainty that the party has achieved a very good result; it's won," Putin said at the United Russia headquarters.