President Vladimir Putin emerged victorious in Russia's presidential election in a landslide victory that saw him securing the overwhelming majority of the vote following the three-day-long election.

Addressing supporters at his election headquarters late Sunday, Putin expressed gratitude to the Russian people for their participation, emphasizing that the election outcome would foster unity and strength within Russian society.

In his address, Putin underscored the significance of this electoral triumph in solidifying Russia's societal fabric and bolstering its resilience.

Moreover, Putin outlined his administration's key priorities moving forward, notably emphasizing the imperative of addressing the Ukraine war. He stressed the necessity of fortifying the Russian armed forces, asserting that enhancing military strength was still a top priority for Moscow.

Speaking further on the situation in Ukraine, Putin asserted that the Russian forces continue to make paramount progress on the battlefield, maintaining the initiative in the ongoing war.

In addition to addressing domestic and military concerns, Putin weighed in on international affairs, criticizing Western notions of democracy, including in the United States, by underlining that democracy was a sham in the West.

The head of Solar Group, a subsidiary of Rostelecom, Igor Lyapunov, revealed on Saturday that on the first day of the Russian elections, more than 90,000 cyber attacks targeted the elections portals originating from Ukraine and North America. 

Lyapunov stated that such an unprecedented number of cyber attacks indicates that the collective West is fighting against Russia, adding that attacks originated from "Ukraine and other locations in Western Europe as well as North America."

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He added that an unprecedented major cyber attack took place yesterday at 12:47 Moscow time targeting the electronic voting platform peaking at more than 2.5 million clicks per second, a load that has caused a delay in the portal. 

While lauding China's success on the global stage, Putin dismissed the efficacy of sanctions against China and emphasized the durability of Russo-Chinese relations as a stabilizing force in international affairs.

Regarding relations with France, Putin underlined that Russia was committed to prioritizing its national interests when it comes to the frontline regarding Paris' proposals for a ceasefire during the Olympics.

Landslide victory

As polls closed in Russia's presidential election, an exit poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) revealed that President Vladimir Putin is in the lead with an overwhelming 87.8% of the vote. 

Confirming Putin's lead, the Central Election Commission announced on Sunday that Vladimir Putin is leading in the presidential election. The commission's statement follows the closure of polling stations across the country.

In addition to Putin's substantial lead, other candidates in the race garnered varying levels of support.

Presidential candidate Nikolai Kharitonov secured 4.6% of the votes, while Vladislav Davankov obtained 4.2%. Leonid Slutsky trailed with 3% of the vote.

An estimated 1.2% of the ballots were declared invalid, according to the VCIOM exit poll.

The head of the Russian Election Commission provided further insight, revealing that the voting turnout reached 74.22% as of 6 p.m. Moscow time. This indicates a high level of participation among Russian citizens in the electoral process.

The voting has spanned three days from March 15 until March 17. It marked the first Russian presidential election since the 2020 constitutional reform. The reform had imposed a limit of two terms for any president. This also nullified Putin's former terms, enabling him to run again.