Putin has led Russia since the turn of the century, winning four presidential elections and briefly serving as prime minister in a system where political opposition has become virtually non-existent.

Last month, Putin said that he will only comment on whether he will run for re-election in 2024 after the ballot is officially announced later this year.

“According to the law, parliament must make a decision at the end of the year. When the elections are announced when the date is set, then we will talk about it,” Putin told the audience at the Eastern Economic Forum in the Pacific port of Vladivostok.

Presidential elections in Russia are officially set by parliament and held every six years after the term limit was lengthened from four years previously. 

They may enter a second round if no candidate is able to secure more than 50 percent of the vote, but in practice, this has never happened, with Putin winning by large margins, AFP had reported. 

Rights groups say national elections in Russia have largely become a rubber stamp for Putin and the ruling party.

Dozens of prominent Russian dissidents have left the country or have been jailed, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny who is serving a prison sentence on a range of charges.

In August, Navalny was handed a new, 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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Updated: 03 Oct 2023, 10:49 AM IST