Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to tighten his grip on power in an election that is certain to deliver him a landslide victory, though thousands of opponents have staged a symbolic noon protest at polling stations.

With polling stations now closed, and about a quarter of the ballots counted, the first results show he’s taken 88% of the vote – in an election that was seen as a foregone conclusion.

Supporters of Putin’s fiercest political foe Alexey Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison last month, had called on Russians to come out for a “Noon against Putin” protest to show their dissent against a leader they cast as a corrupt autocrat.

Al Jazeera’s Dmitry Medvedenko reports.

Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/

Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile

#Russia #RussianElections #VladimirPutin #RussianPolitics #NoonAgainstPutin