RUSSIA’S top court has barred the only officially registered party that opposes Moscow’s war in Ukraine from contesting next month’s parliamentary elections.

The Supreme Court upheld a complaint by the Rodina Party to annul the registration of Yabloko on Monday after the Central Election Commission had initially allowed the party onto the ballot, along with 10 others.

Rodina claimed that Yabloko had received undeclared campaign support, including from Western sources, among other accusations.

During an all-day hearing, Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov said there was no evidence to support the allegations and described the case as an unconstitutional attack on freedom of thought by political opponents seeking to clear the field of rivals.

Speaking after the hearing, he said the party would appeal against the decision.

“We have a long way ahead and we have a big and important task: to stop deaths and bring peace back,” Mr Rybakov said. 

“Everything we do should be dedicated to that.”

Yabloko has received the backing of several opposition figures, including Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late opposition activist Alexey Navalny. Both are listed as “extremists” in Russia.

A poll conducted earlier this year showed Yabloko with 3 per cent support – short of the 5 per cent threshold needed to enter the State Duma, Russia’s lower house.