He is a State Duma deputy, as a member of the Communist Party.

[1][2] He is blind, and was the vice president of the Russian Paralympic committee.

[3] He was the only member of the State Duma who voted against the recognition of the separatist Lugansk People's Republic.

But he then stated that he made a mistake when casting his vote, and asked to correct the vote tally.

[4] However, he later said that he was "shocked" by the invasion and express that "military force should be used in politics only as a last resort"[5]