Russian presidential candidate and incumbent President Vladimir Putin speaks after polling stations closed, in Moscow, Russia, March 18, 2024.MOSCOW, March 17 - President Vladimir Putin won a record post-Soviet landslide in Russia's election on Sunday, cementing his grip on power though thousands of opponents staged a noon protest at polling stations and the United States said the vote was neither free nor fair.
Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov came second with just under 4 per cent, newcomer Vladislav Davankov third, and ultra-nationalist Leonid Slutsky fourth, results suggested. While Putin's re-election was not in doubt given his control over Russia and the absence of any real challengers, the former KGB spy wanted to show that he has the overwhelming support of Russians. Nationwide turnout was 74.22 per cent at 1800 GMT when polls closed, election officials said, surpassing 2018 levels of 67.5 per cent.
Some said they were protesting, though there were few outward signs to distinguish them from ordinary voters. Over the previous two days, there were scattered incidents of protest as some Russians set fire to voting booths or poured green dye into ballot boxes. Opponents posted some pictures of ballots spoiled with slogans insulting Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Putin wanted to rule forever. "There is no legitimacy in this imitation of elections and there cannot be. This person should be on trial in The Hague. That's what we have to ensure."
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