Russia election 2024: Russians to cast vote today amid Putin's possible ‘extended rule’. All you need to know

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Russia is holding its presidential election from Friday as President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to secure victory, barring any unforeseen developments. The election results are anticipated to be announced shortly thereafter, with the winner set to be inaugurated in May. If successful, Putin will begin another six-year term, extending his tenure as the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin.

Meanwhile, voting is set to occur in parts of Ukraine currently under Russian control and subject to Russian law. Ukraine has expressed its determination to remove all Russian soldiers from these annexed regions, Reuters reported. Additionally, for the first time in a Russian presidential election, a remote online voting system will be implemented.

ANI reported that Russian citizens residing in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram cast their votes for the Russian presidential elections at the booth arranged at the Honorary Consulate of the Russian Federation, Russian House. Russia is poised to conduct presidential elections spanning from March 15 to 17, during which Russian citizens will cast their votes from Friday through Sunday across the country's 11 time zones. The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia has approved only three candidates to challenge incumbent President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier, on Thursday, both the EU and NATO jointly stated that the upcoming election in Russia, anticipated to result in the re-election of Vladimir Putin as president, would not be considered free or fair. They emphasized that the Kremlin's suppression of all opposition voices has undermined the integrity of the electoral process. “We know, given the track record of how votes are being prepared and organised in Russia under the