This marks Putin's fourth term in office, making him on track to surpass Josef Stalin as Russia's longest-serving leader.

Thousands of opposition protested symbolically at polling stations.

Putin's highest recorded vote percentage in Russia's post-Soviet history.

The election took place less than two years after the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, which sparked the deadliest European conflict since World War Two.

Putin described the ongoing election as a "special military operation." Tensions have been high between Russia and Ukraine, with Ukraine attacking Russian oil refineries and seeking to penetrate Russian borders.

Putin's re-election was expected, as he has complete control over Russia and lacked significant opposition.

Despite this, Putin aimed to demonstrate his widespread support among Russians.

Voter turnout surpassed the 2018 level of 67.5 percent before polls closed.

Navalny's supporters called for a "Noon against Putin" protest to express dissent against the corrupt autocrat.

The number of protesters was not independently tallied due to tight security involving tens of thousands of police and security officials.

Reuters reported an increase in voters, particularly younger people, at polling stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg, with long queues of hundreds to thousands.

Some voters were protesting, although it was not clear who they were.

Simultaneously, crowds gathered at Russian diplomatic missions across Asia and Europe.

Navalny's widow, Yulia, appeared at the Russian embassy in Berlin, receiving cheers and chants of "Yulia, Yulia." Exiled Navalny supporters broadcasted footage of protests inside Russia and abroad on YouTube.

Ruslan Shaveddinov of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation stated, "We showed ourselves, all of Russia and the whole world that Putin is not Russia, that Putin has seized power in Russia." A large number of people, estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, turned out to vote in various cities across Russia despite fear and solitude.

There were reports of scattered protests, with some individuals setting fire to voting booths and pouring green dye into ballot boxes.

Authorities labeled these protesters as scumbags and traitors.

The opposition, however, is currently without its most prominent leader, Alexei Navalny, who is exiled or deceased, and other major opposition figures are either abroad or in jail.

At least 74 people were arrested during the protests, according to a monitoring group.

Putin is viewed as an autocratic leader and accused of war crimes, including the abduction of Ukrainian children, by the West.

The US President, Joe Biden, has called him a "crazy SOB." The International Criminal Court has issued an indictment against Putin for these allegations, which Russia denies.

Putin sees the conflict with the West as part of a long-standing battle and a response to Western encroachment on Russia's sphere of influence after the Cold War.

Putin aims to instill his worldview in the Russian political establishment to ensure a successor with similar views.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is seen as a reminder that Putin expects the geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West to continue.

Russia's election is described as a pivotal moment in the Ukraine war and the wider conflict between democracies and autocracies, according to Western intelligence chiefs.

The situation in Ukraine is complicated by US domestic politics, with the November presidential election featuring a race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, whose Republican party in Congress has blocked military aid for Kyiv.

Despite Ukrainian gains after Russia's invasion in 2022, Russian forces have recently made advances, leading the Biden administration to fear Putin could seize more territory.

CIA Director William Burns warns that such a move could embolden China.

Putin alleges that the West is waging a hybrid war against Russia and that Western intelligence and Ukraine are attempting to interfere with the elections.

In 2022, elections were held in Crimea and four other Ukrainian regions controlled by Moscow.

Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, considers these elections on occupied territory to be illegal and void.

Moscow took Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.