Putin declared winner of presidential race that held little suspense

Moscow: Russia's Central Election Commission said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has won his fifth term with a record number of votes.

The results came after Putin unleashed the country's harshest crackdown on the opposition and free speech since Soviet times.

Only three token candidates and no one who opposes his war in Ukraine were allowed to run against Putin as he sought another six years in power.

Putin has led Russia as president or prime minister since December 1999, a tenure marked by international military aggression and an increasing intolerance for dissent.

Russia's Central Election Commission said Monday that with nearly 100 per cent of all precincts counted, Putin got 87.29 per cent of the vote. Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova said that nearly 76 million voters cast their ballots for Putin, his highest vote tally ever. (AP)