After claiming a “landslide victory” in yet another re-election, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a news conference Monday said that the country would not be “intimidated” by anyone, the Daily Star reported.
Following the presidential elections in Russia, Putin hailed a victory that paves the way for the former spy to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than 200 years.
All of the 71-year-old’s main opponents, according to AFP, are either dead, imprisoned or exiled, while he has overseen an unremitting crackdown on anyone who openly criticises his authority or his military offensive on Ukraine.
Early Monday, in a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Moscow hours after polls closed, Putin said: “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.”
Putin received 87.2% of the total votes cast, according to official election data, with more than 80% of polling places having submitted results.
This marks a historic win in a presidential race on which he faced no real challenge.
The three-day election brought a spike in lethal Ukrainian bombardments, pro-Kyiv sabotage groups’ intrusions into Russian territory, and damage at polling stations.
