Vladimir Putin declared winner of Russia’s presidential race with record number of votes

Only three token candidates were allowed to run against Putin as he sought another six years in power

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking on a visit to his campaign headquarters after a presidential election in Moscow, Russia (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

Russia’s Central Election Commission has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has won his fifth term with a record number of votes.

The results on Monday came after Putin unleashed the country’s harshest crackdown on the opposition and free speech since Soviet times.