Vladimir Putin re-elected with 87% of the vote, according to an exit poll. Critics of the Russian president, who has been in charge of the country for 24 years, wanted to show themselves by going to vote at noon on Sunday.
The opposition has been decimated by years of repression which has further accelerated with the conflict in Ukraine. Despite these attacks, a prolonged deadly conflict and increasingly restricted freedoms, the master of the Kremlin can count on very real popularity and sees the election as a demonstration of unity.