Vladimir Putin has won a fifth term as Russian president by a landslide of 87%, according to Russian exit polls
He faced no credible opposition candidate as the Kremlin tightly controls Russia’s political system, media and elections.
In a post-election news conference, Putin vowed to press on with the war in Ukraine.
He also said Russian democracy was more legitimate than in the US.
Voting took place in the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. Overall, turnout was 74%.
Supporters of dead opposition leader Alexei Navalny staged protests, and there were long queues of voters in major cities, and outside foreign embassies.
