Vladimir Putin has been elected for another six years as Russia's president, Reuters reported, citing a popular exit poll.
In a widely anticipated outcome, an exit poll by pollster VTsIOM showed Putin had won 73.9% of the vote, according to Reuters. Russia's Central Election Commission, commenting after nearly a third of the votes had been counted, also put Putin at about 73%. Putin's closest threat was Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin, who was at barely over 11% in exit polls, according to Reuters.
Putin extends his time in office until 2024, when he will be 71 years old. As part of his presidential campaign, he has promised to bolster Russia's defenses against the West and raise living standards, Reuters reported.
