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NHL star Alexander Ovechkin appeared in a campaign video for Russia's ruling United Russia party ahead of September parliamentary elections, featured alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, drawing attention to celebrity endorsements of the Kremlin-aligned party. The Washington Capitals forward was one of several public figures featured in a series of United Russia videos released ahead of State Duma elections scheduled for September 18-20. The party's promotional series shows top candidates on its federal list explaining their platforms, as described by Russian business daily Kommersant.