Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has said he is confident he could beat President Vladimir Putin in a fair election.

The Kremlin has released pictures of Russian president Vladimir Putin working out at the gym with prime minister Dmitrty Medvedev – images apparently aimed at shoring up Putin’s rugged, masculine image as his popularity dips.

Vladimir Putin appears all but certain to return to the Kremlin in tomorrow’s Russian presidential election, but he will find himself in charge of a country far more willing to challenge him.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said the nation’s political parties enjoyed “free and equal competition” ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary election, while voters complain of record violations of election law by the main pro-Kremlin party.

The most vocal Kremlin critic in Russia’s presidential contest was barred from the ballot today by election authorities who said tens of thousands of signatures on his nominating petitions were faked.