Vladimir Putin had said Russia would not be “intimidated” as he hailed an election victory that paves the way for the former spy to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than 200 years.
According to report, all of the 71-year-old’s major opponents are either dead, in prison or exiled, and he has overseen an unrelenting crackdown on anybody who publicly opposes his rule or his military offensive in Ukraine.
Putin told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Moscow early Monday, hours after polls closed how grateful he was.
In his words, “I want to thank all of you and all citizens of the country for your support and this trust.
“No matter who or how much they want to intimidate us, no matter who or how much they want to suppress us, our will, our consciousness — no one has ever succeeded in anything like this in history. It has not worked now and will not work in the future. Never,” he added.
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Official election data showed that, with more than 99 percent of voting stations that submitted results, Putin had secured 87 percent of all votes cast.
The three-day election was marked by a surge in deadly Ukrainian bombardments, incursions into Russian territory by pro-Kyiv sabotage groups and vandalism at polling stations.
