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Election kicks off in Russia with Putin set to secure another term

Election victory will allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in Kremlin until at least 2030, a longer spell in power than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in 18th century.

AFP

Majority of votes for the Russian presidential elections will be cast over three days starting from March 15, although early and postal voting has already commenced. / Photo: AFP

Voters have headed to the polls for a three-day presidential election in Russia that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule by six more years.

Polling stations opened in Russia's easternmost Kamchatka peninsula at 8:00 am local time on Friday and are set to close at 8:00 pm [1800 GMT] on Sunday in Kaliningrad — a Russian exclave bordering Poland and Lithuania.

Nikolai Kharitonov from the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky, a hard-line nationalist from the Liberal Democratic Party, and Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party are among those running against Putin in these elections.

In Mariupol, election officials on Thursday opened pop-up polling stations at small tables in the street and on the hoods of cars.

The vote will also take place in Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.

The Kremlin says the vote will show that the country is fully behind Putin's "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Reuters

Non-governmental polling organisation, Levada Center, reports Putin's approval rating to be over 80%.

'United and self-confident'

"I am convinced: you realise what a difficult period our country is going through, what complex challenges we are facing in almost all areas," Putin said in an address to Russians on the eve of the vote.

"And in order to continue to respond to them with dignity and successfully overcome difficulties, we need to continue to be united and self-confident."

"We have already shown that we can be together, defending the freedom, sovereignty and security of Russia," Putin said in a video message, flanked by flags of the Russian tricolour and the president's state insignia.

"Today it is critically important not to stray from this path," he said.

If another victory is secured, this will allow the Russain President Putin to stay in the Kremlin until at least 2030, a longer spell in power than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the 18th century.