MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin enjoys widespread support that spans diverse age cohorts within Russian society, including strong support among many young people, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"The fact that Putin is supported by completely different age groups is an undeniable fact. In fact, a large number of children and young people support the president; they are his active supporters," the Kremlin spokesman said.

When asked by a reporter to comment on information that children have expressed a desire to submit signatures in support of Putin's nomination in the 2024 presidential election, the spokesman said: "Of course, this is encouraging; it once again confirms the highest level of consolidation of society."

The process of gathering signatures in support of Putin's self-nomination for re-election to a fifth term as president began on December 23. Under Russian election law, a self-nominated candidate must collect 300,000 signatures to be officially registered and placed on the ballot, with no more than 7,500 in each region. The deadline for submitting signatures to the Russian Central Election Commission is January 31, 2024. The presidential election is slated for March 17, 2024 with voting to take place over three days on March 15-17.