Vladimir Putin humiliated as officials scramble to force recount after unexpected opponent

Vladimir Putin suffered a near unexpected loss after one of his opponents came out the initial victor in the 15-17 March presidential election in a rural district.

Officials scrambled to have the result overturned through a recount after Communist Party candidate Nikolay Kharitonov appeared to receive 10 times the votes Putin did, according to local reports.

A polling station in the Altai Region city of Barnaul proceeded to count the votes a second time after the Russian electoral commission claimed to have encountered a "technical error."

According to the initial count, Kharitonov had secured the backing of 763 voters - promoting officials to go ahead with the recount. The final outcome of the vote is still unknown, Russian publication Meduza reported.

 Exit polls released by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center showed Putin won the election by a landslide, securing 87 percent of the vote.  

Following constitutional changes pushed through the Russian Parliament before the invasion of Ukraine, Putin would now be able to stay in power until 2036.

The results, however, have attracted widespread international criticism, with the United States branding Putin's win "obviously not free nor fair."

Russian elections have long been the subject of scrutiny as the outcome of the vote has tended to favour the Russian president and his party for decades.

The advent of social media has also highlighted the pressure voters face as footage emerged over the weekend showing soldiers intimidating the public with their presence.

Putin welcomed his win as a sign support for his "grandiose" policies remains high among Russians.

He said: "All the plans we have created to develop Russia will certainly be carried out and their goals achieved.

"We have come up with grandiose plans and will do everything to carry them out." 

The election faced additional criticism over Putin's decision to hold a vote in the five Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine - with voting time extended in an apparent effort to coerce residents to take part in the vote.

British Foreign Minister Lord Cameron slammed "the illegal holding of elections on Ukrainian territory."

Volodymir Zelensky mocked Putin's conduct arguing that "the Russian dictator is simulating another election."