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People line up in front of a polling station in Moscow at midday
Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP
It was considered certain that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin would be declared the winner in his fifth so-called election: the Russian election commission has now awarded him a record result of almost 88 percent after counting the first ballot papers.
This means that the 71-year-old Putin gained more than ten percentage points compared to the 2018 election (76.7 percent).
It is considered the best result he has ever achieved as he begins his fifth term in office.
Voter turnout was reported at over 74 percent – also a record.
It was the highest number in a Russian presidential election.
However, critics pointed out that it was only achieved through repression, coercion and fraud.
Observers described the vote, which was accompanied by protests, as undemocratic because no real opposition candidates were allowed.
In addition, there is no freedom of assembly in Russia; the Kremlin-controlled media is in line.
Independent media are politically persecuted.
Dissenters who criticize Putin's war against Ukraine or the power apparatus risk punishment and even imprisonment.
Putin is likely to present such a result as confirmation of his anti-Western and authoritarian course.
Observers expect that over the next six years in office he will not only step up his foreign policy significantly in his war of aggression against Ukraine.
Many Russians fear a new mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists.
Domestically, the thumbscrews in the country could also be tightened significantly in order to stifle the protests from Putin's opponents that were visible on the three election days.
Tax increases have also been announced to finance the high expenditure on the war and social policy projects.
Notable protests
Thousands of opponents of the long-time president accompanied the vote, which was organized with a heavy hand by Russia's power apparatus, with a remarkable wave of protests.
Despite attempts at intimidation by the authorities, on the last day of the election on Sunday, people gathered in many cities across the country at around 12 noon local time in front of their respective polling stations for the “Lunch Against Putin” campaign.
The opposition around Alexei Navalny, who died in a prison camp a month ago, called for this.
On Sunday, people also brought flowers to the Moscow grave of Navalny, who himself wanted to become president.
Navalny's widow caused a stir in Berlin: Julija Navalnaya took part in a protest there and stood in line at the Russian embassy to vote.
Opposition members were not even allowed as candidates in the vote.
Putin's three competitors were seen as mere personnel who either supported him directly or were at least aligned with the Kremlin.
aeh/dpa