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Putin leading in Russia’s presidential race with 72.53% after 25% of ballots counted

Pavel Grudinin nominated by the Communist Party of Russia is second with 15.44% of the vote

MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. Incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin is leading in the presidential race having clinched 72.53% of the vote with 25.03% of ballots counted, the Russian Election Commission reported on Sunday. Pavel Grudinin nominated by the Communist Party of Russia has come in second with 15.44% of the vote, while Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), is occupying third place with 6.84% of the vote, Russia’s Central Election Commission reported on Sunday.

As for the other contenders, Ksenia Sobchak, nominated by the Civil Initiative Party, is fourth with 1.39% of the vote. Trailing her is Grigory Yavlinsky from the Yabloko Party who chalked up 0.78% of the vote. Meanwhile, both Sergei Baburin, head of the Russian People’s Union Party and Maxim Suraikin, chairman of the Central Committee of the Communists of Russia Party garnered 0.62%, while Boris Titov (the Party of Growth) ended up with 0.61%.

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Vladimir Putin Russian presidential election 2018

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US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

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US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

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Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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