MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. Early voting in Russia's presidential election is taking place abroad without any incidents, over 40,000 people have already cast their ballots, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"Early voting is underway. It has already taken place in 23 countries, and 29 election commissions are supervising it. As of March 12, more than 40,000 Russians have already voted," the diplomat said. "Voting is taking place without any serious incidents," she pointed out.

According to the spokeswoman, local Russian officials are ready to provide any assistance at the first request of their fellow citizens.

The Russian Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, officially designated March 17, 2024 as the day of the presidential election. The Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) then announced that voting will take place over three days on March 15-17, making it Russia’s first three-day presidential election.