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Preliminary outcomes present Putin received about 87 p.c of the vote, the biggest outcome ever in Russia's post-Soviet historical past.
President Vladimir Putin is ready to attain a file victory in Russia's election following the Soviet Union's landslide victory that can tighten his grip on energy, regardless of scores of opponents protesting at polling stations within the afternoon.
Shortly after the ultimate polls closed on Sunday, early returns pointed to the conclusion everybody anticipated: that Putin would prolong his practically quarter-century rule for six extra years.
In response to Russia's Central Election Fee, he had about 87 p.c of the vote and about 60 p.c of the precincts had been counted. The outcome means Putin, 71, will overtake Joseph Stalin to turn into Russia's longest-serving chief in additional than 200 years.
In response to early outcomes, Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov got here second with lower than 4 p.c of the vote, newcomer Vladislav Davankov got here third and ultra-nationalist Leonid Slutsky got here fourth.
Election officers mentioned nationwide turnout when polls closed was 74.22 p.c, surpassing 2018's degree of 67.5 p.c.
For Putin, a former KGB lieutenant colonel who first got here to energy in 1999, the end result is meant to underline to the West that its leaders must depend on a brave Russia for a few years to return, whether or not in battle or peace. Have to remain collectively. ,
The US mentioned that the voting was neither free nor truthful.
A White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesman mentioned, “The elections are clearly not free or truthful, as Mr. Putin has jailed political opponents and prevented others from operating towards him.”
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned, “This electoral fraud has no and can’t have any legitimacy”.
The election comes greater than two years after Putin's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Europe's deadliest battle since World Battle II.
1000’s of Putin's opponents protested towards him on Sunday, though there isn’t a unbiased depend of what number of of Russia's 114 million voters took half within the demonstration.
Supporters of Putin's most distinguished rival Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic jail final month, had referred to as on Russians to return to an “afternoon towards Putin” protest.
Putin was first named performing president when former Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned. He then received his first presidential election in March 2000 and a second time period in 2004.
After two phrases as president, Putin returned to turning into prime minister in 2008 to keep away from a constitutional ban on serving greater than two consecutive phrases as head of state.
However he returned to the presidency in 2012, profitable a fourth time period in 2018.