Russian President Vladimir Putin has secured 87.28% of all votes cast in the March 15-17 election, with 100% of polling stations submitting ballots, Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Monday.
Putin’s victory was never in doubt, with all his major opponents dead, in prison or exiled, all the while the Kremlin has waged an unrelenting crackdown on public criticism of the war in Ukraine.
CEC head Ella Pamfilova said Monday that turnout in the 2024 presidential election set a record of 87.1 million, or 77.44% of eligible voters.
The final election results showed Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov coming second with 4.31% of the vote, while New People candidate Vladislav Davankov and nationalist Leonid Slutsky pulled in 3.85% and 3.20% respectively.
The CEC is expected to present its official results on Thursday.
Putin, who has steered Russia into isolation with the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, vowed in a victory speech late Sunday to continue resisting outside pressure.
The three-day vote was also held in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.
On Sunday, thousands of Russians both at home and abroad responded to the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s call to protest the election by forming long lines at polling places at noon.
AFP contributed reporting.
