Vladimir Putin wins presidential elections

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has won the presidential elections with 74 percent of votes polled, according to a state-run exit poll.

Putin's fourth term as president will extend until 2024, the first Kremlin leader to serve two decades in power since Josef Stalin.With results still coming in, Putin is looking to surpass expectations by clinching more than 73 percent of the vote.

Putin, who secured a fourth term, thanked his supporters and promised new achievements while addressing a crowd gathered at the Moscow`s Manezhnaya Square near the Kremlin on Sunday night.

Putin has been holding the Presidential office of Russia since 2012 after winning three Presidential elections consecutively.

Alexei Navalny, who was touted as his fiercest opponent, was barred from contesting the elections and was further suspended for five-years on the basis of embezzlement charges levied against him.

This move paved the way for the incumbent Putin to easily secure his win in the elections and hold the office for the next six years.