Vladimir Putin has secured another six-year term as Russian president, according to exit polls on Sunday.
This victory paves the way for the hardline former spy to become the longest-serving Russian leader in over 200 years. With all major opponents either deceased, imprisoned, or exiled, Putin’s win was widely anticipated.
The government-run VTsIOM pollster projected Putin’s victory with 87 percent of the vote after polls closed in Russia’s western-most region of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea. The election took place amid a surge in deadly Ukrainian bombardments and tensions, with incursions into Russian territory by pro-Kyiv sabotage groups. President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Putin as a “dictator” and denounced the election as a sham.
Despite opposition dismissals and criticisms from Ukraine and its allies, Putin’s victory was celebrated by state-run media as a testament to the country’s support for his leadership. Putin, who has been in power since 1999, is poised to extend his rule until at least 2030, marking one of the longest tenures in Russian history.
