Russia's election commission awards Putin record results. Voter turnout was reported at over 74 percent - also a record.
It is the highest value in a Russian presidential election. Ukraine and other countries reject the vote, which was organized in violation of international law. Putin is likely to present such a result as confirmation of his anti-Western and authoritarian course. Many Russians fear a new mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists. The number of eligible voters was given as 114 million people. Putin has announced that he will completely take over the previously partially occupied regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia.