Incumbent President Putin appears at a polling station in Moscow

Mr. Vladimir Putin appeared at polling station No. 2151, Moscow. Photo: Ria Novosti

This is the sixth presidential election in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now, about 110 million Russian citizens in the country and 2 million Russians abroad will have the right to decide who will lead the country for the next 6 years.

According to the Central Election Commission of Russia, early voting in Russia began on February 25 in remote areas with difficult access, on ships that were at sea on March 18.

As of March 16, about 153,500 voters had gone to the polls, including more than 30,000 voters in 50 countries around the world.

The current term of President Putin was a special one when Russia had to face many difficulties and challenges, from international crises such as Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea or intervention in Syria to economic difficulties due to Western sanctions and falling oil prices.

Russian voters cautiously insert their ballots into barcode scanners. Photo: Ria Novosti

However, reality has proven Russia's adaptability, and more specifically, Mr. Putin's "steering" role. Not only the Russian press, but also the international media share the same opinion that the high support of the people for the current president once again shows that Russian patriotism and the Russian spirit always exist in Russian society.

“I think every Russian should vote, because it is a civic duty. We always want stability and peace in the country, without any major changes. Therefore, there is no better choice than Mr. Putin,” said Moscow voter Valentin Semchuk.

In this election, Mr. Putin is considered an absolutely promising candidate. However, if he does not win at least 50% of the votes in the first election, Russia will have to hold a second round of elections to determine the country's leader. However, according to experts, this case is very unlikely to happen in this year's election./.