"Putin Secures Re-election with 87% of Vote, Extending 25-Year Rule in Russia"

In a landslide victory, Vladimir Putin secures another six-year term as Russian president, further cementing his 25-year reign in a contentious election marked by the absence of serious challengers. 

Preliminary results, with 50 percent of the ballots counted, reveal Putin clinching 87.3 percent of the vote, with a turnout of 73.33 percent, according to Russian authorities. 

This victory, the largest share of the vote Putin has ever claimed, solidifies his status as the longest-serving Russian leader at 71 years old.

Despite calls from supporters of his prominent opponent, the late Alexei Navalny, to protest against his government, Putin maintains a firm grip on power, dismissing the dissent as having no impact on the election's outcome. 

In his first remarks on Navalny's death, Putin expresses condolences, acknowledging the possibility of a prisoner swap involving the opposition figure. 

Responding to questions about the democratic nature of his re-election, Putin criticizes the U.S. political and judicial systems, labeling them as chaotic and undemocratic. 

This victory, though marred by allegations of suppression and lack of genuine competition, solidifies Putin's grip on power and further consolidates Russia's position as an autocratic regime.