Barbara Tasch
Live reporter

That’s it for today’s live coverage of the Russian elections.

As we’ve been reporting, Putin’s electoral victory - called out as neither free nor fair by Western leaders - has been casting a dark shadow over Ukraine, where armed men accompanied voters in regions under Russian control.

There has been a lot of speculation over how this victory will affect the war in Ukraine - but for James Nixey, Director of the Russia-Eurasia Programme at the Chatham House think tank, it will only embolden the Russian leader.

"Putin is likely to use his ‘landslide’ as an endorsement to prosecute his war against Ukraine harder and for longer,” he told me.

"Whether he actually believes it or not is immaterial. It is now easier - or at least less risky - for him to engage in another round of mobilisation and reshuffle his inner circle as and when he needs to.”

Nixey added that the war being "Putin’s only real policy priority" meant all Russian state resources were directed toward it.

Our live coverage will be closing soon, but thanks for following along as we brought you all the reactions to Vladimir Putin's electoral win, in what was a tightly controlled election.

Here were the key moments throughout the day:

• Putin briefly appeared onstage at a concert in Red Square to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea
• Western countries including the US, the UK and the EU, lined up to label the poll "undemocratic"
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the vote as an illegitimate "imitation" and asked the US for more aid
• The leaders of Saudi Arabia, India, Iran, North Korea and Syria congratulated Putin
• Russia's electoral commission said all the votes had been counted and published figures claiming Vladimir Putin won 87.28% of the vote
• The Golos movement, an independent group that monitors elections in Russia, has dismissed the outcome of the latest election as failing "to perform its main function"

• The Russian Interior Ministry launched 61 criminal cases and 150 administrative offence acts were issued during the election period

This page was written by Gabriela Pomeroy, Ali Abbas Ahmadi, Ece Goksedef, Jake Lapham, Christy Cooney, as well as Steve Rosenberg in Moscow and Sarah Rainsford in Kyiv, with contributions from BBC News, BBC Russian and BBC Ukrainian correspondents around the world.

It was edited by Jack Burgess, Johanna Chisholm, Sophie Abdulla, Barbara Tasch and Adam Durbin.

President Vladimir Putin has announced a new railway line that will run from the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don to Crimea via occupied Ukraine.

Speaking earlier at the rally in Red Square, Putin said a line from Rostov to the occupied cities of Donetsk, Mariupol, and Berdyansk had been restored in south and eastern Ukraine, which would now be extended to the annexed Crimean port city of Sevastopol.

Russia has occupied Crimea since invading the peninsula in 2014. A bridge connecting it to the Russian mainland was opened in 2018, but has been attacked and forced to close twice since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Putin said, in his brief remarks hailing the 10th anniversary of Crimea's invasion that the new railway line would be "another, alternative road instead" of the current bridge which links the peninsula with Russia.

"This is how together, hand in hand, we will move on. This is what - not in words, but in deeds - makes us really stronger," he told the thousands assembled in Moscow's Red Square.

Image source, Getty Images

The former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, spoke to BBC Newshour earlier, following Vladimir Putin's widely expected win in the Russian presidential election.

“It's not Putin who is winning," he told the programme- adding the result showed It is "the West and the free" who are actually "on the backfoot" and "on the edge of losing".

Yatsenyuk, who was Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2014-2016, including at the time when Russia annexed Crimea, said Ukraine should try to take back the occupied peninsula.

He told the BBC that the West's lack of strong response to Crimea's occupation was a "clear-cut sign that Putin is to move forward".

After the White House had already called Russia's election "not free nor fair", the State Department has now also denounced the election as unfree and said it would not congratulate President Vladimir Putin.

Here are the latest reactions to Putin's widely expected electoral win:

• "This was an incredibly undemocratic process," US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters and added: "I think it is safe to say that there certainly won't be congratulatory calls coming from the United States of America"
• Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, congratulated Putin. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman both quoted in state media as wishing Putin "success and prosperity"
• Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has also congratulated his Russian counterpart for his re-election "with a large majority, which confirms the great confidence of the Russian people"
• Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly called the electoral process in Russia "flawed" and a "non-democratic process."
• And Norway, which shares a border with Russia, said that voting in parts of Ukraine "illegally occupied" by Moscow was "a serious violation of international law"

The Nato's secretary general has called Russia's organisation of elections in occupied parts of Georgia and Ukraine "completely illegal", external.

Speaking while in the Georgian capital Tbilisi as part of a three-day tour of the South Caucasus, Jens Stoltenberg said Russia's election was "clearly neither free nor fair".

He called on Russia to reverse its recognition of the Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. Russia has recognised the areas as independent states since invading both regions in support of separatist forces in 2008.

“We fully support Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg's visit began with meetings with Azerbaijani leadership on Sunday and Monday and will conclude in Armenia on Tuesday.

Russian gunmen accompany voters amid rubble in eastern Ukrainian citypublished at 17:37 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March

17:37 GMT 18 March

Zhanna Bezpiatchuk
BBC Ukrainian Service reporter

Image source, Reuters

Standing amid the ghastly ruins and grey-coal ashes of the Ukrainian city Avdiivka, representatives of Russia's central election commission and parliament said they were "invited" by local people.

As if they received the invitation as "liberators" from those who were longing to vote for Putin.

The locals have been living without any electricity, water supply and central heating, in the ghost city which was destroyed by four months of relentless Russian attacks.

Avdiivka, in eastern Ukraine, was finally seized by Russian forces at the end of February 2024.

Apart from the depressing backdrop of the debris, bomb craters, mud and rubble - a common picture in many Russia-captured towns - there is one more detail to pay attention to. Russian gunmen are seen everywhere in the videos of people voting in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.

Armed men were guarding Russian high-ranking representatives and checking Ukrainian passports of Avdiivka residents, mostly elderly people who became emaciated shadows of themselves after months of suffering and fear.

Normally, if you are invited as honorary guests on a noble mission, you don't need soldiers to accompany you everywhere.

If you are welcomed, you don't need gunmen at all.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had met the US Senator Lindsey Graham in Ukraine.

Zelensky said in a post on X that he reminded the senior Republican politician that "it is critical that our partners continue to provide military and technical assistance" like air defence systems and missiles.

"The continued support of Ukraine by international partners, particularly the United States, is now more important than ever in implementing plans to de-occupy our territories and protect our people," he added.

Aid supplies from the US have become ensnarled in political wrangling between the Democrats and Republicans in recent months, which you can read the latest on here.

Image source, Volodymyr Zelensky/X

The live stream of the victory concert in the Red Square has ended as it began, with patriotic songs and poetry.

President Vladimir Putin kept his remarks in the Russian capital uncharacteristically short, hailing the 10th anniversary of the annexation of Crimea and the more recent seizure of areas in the south and east of Ukraine.

As a reminder, Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory is illegal under international law and is not recognised by the vast majority of nations.

Putin thanked the crowd for their support in his recent election success and was joined on stage by the three opposition candidates who were permitted to stand against him in this week's elections.

Putin took a break in his brief speech for a rendition of the Russian national anthem and sings along with the thousands of people gathered in Moscow's Red Square.

After the rendition, the Russian president stepped up to the microphone again to thank the crowd, after which the music resumed.

It now appears that Putin has left the stage. We'll bring you more as the event continues.

Image source, Getty Images

Putin then describes the Donbas and other parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces as part of a “New Russia”.

The remarks are met with chants of "Russia, Russia".

Saturday marked 10 years since a referendum was held in Crimea on whether the region, which had been invaded and occupied by Russian forces in the preceding weeks, should be unified with Russia.

Putin begins by offering his "sincere congratulations on the reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia".

He says Crimea is often called an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" adding it has now "returned to its home harbour".

"Crimea above all is people, the people of Sevastopol and Crimea, they are our pride," Putin says.

As a reminder - Crimea is internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory, despite Russia's occupation and claimed annexation 10 years ago.

Image source, Reuters

The Russian President Vladimir Putin has just arrived in Red Square and has started to address the crowd.

Remember - you can watch a translated stream of the speech by pressing play at the top of the page.

The concert has kicked off with a group performing on stage, and dozens of Russian flags flying in the crowd.

A performer is singing a rousing patriotic song about how "being together is the most beautiful thing in the world", in the style of a pop ballad.

Presenters are shouting on stage about how families should have more than three children "so that our country will have more fantastic people".

'Together' is understood to be in reference to the union between Russia and Crimea.

We've just been seeing the first photos of crowds celebrating in Moscow's Red Square as the event gets under way.

As we've been reporting, people have been gathering in the Russian capital for an event to mark the 10th anniversary of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.

Image source, REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Image source, REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Image source, REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Many Ukrainians fear what comes next after Russian electionpublished at 15:43 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March

15:43 GMT 18 March

Zhanna Bezpiatchuk
BBC Ukrainian Service reporter

Many Ukrainians were betting far in advance of the Russian election that Vladimir Putin would finish with the landslide 80 to 90% of votes.

In their view, they were convinced that this election was about the further legitimisation of Russia's modern version of Tsarism rather than the real expression of its people's will.

On the streets of Kyiv, when Ukrainians hear that some Russian voters had words of admiration and adoration for Putin, it made many shudder.

For those in Ukraine, it's never far from mind that they are now in the third year of the brutal violence and destruction caused by Putin's invading army. And they know too well that he needed this electoral victory to justify the continuation of the war.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his Russian counterpart is “drunk from power" and will stop at nothing to "prolong his personal power".

The war against Ukraine still looks like the perfect diversion.

In Ukraine, many fear that after this election win, Putin might get an even bigger appetite for territorial expansion and aggression.

Keeping his oil and gas revenues high, he can pay bills for his defence production and circumvention of sanctions.

Image source, .

It's hard to find Ukrainians these days who speak well of Russianspublished at 15:27 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March

15:27 GMT 18 March

Sarah Rainsford
reporting from Kyiv

Russian elections have been tightly controlled for a long time, increasingly so each year. This time, there were no genuine opposition candidates on the ballot at all.

The Kremlin has spent years creating the impression that there is no other choice: that Putin is Russia.

But for Ukraine, Putin is Mariupol, Bucha and Bakhmut.

He's the reason for the rows of fresh graves at every town cemetery; for the displacement of millions from their homes and the nights in bomb shelters and basements for those who've stayed.

It was Vladimir Putin who launched the war that badly injured a young girl I met in Chernihiv, after a missile attack, then killed her brother at the front line, where he had gone to fight as a volunteer.

Image source, SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA-EFE

That same war sent another Ukrainian soldier back to the front today. Before he left, he told me he's the only one of his original group of some 30 men "still walking".

Of course, Putin hasn't done all this alone.

That's why it's hard to find Ukrainians these days who speak well of any Russians.

Relations between two neighbours have been ruined for decades, perhaps longer.

Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

People have started arriving in Moscow's Red Square for a rally and concert - starting later on - to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, eight years before Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Image source, Getty Images

The event in Russia's capital is also expected to mark Putin's presidential election victory.

Crowds have been queuing to pass through metal detectors and people have been spotted posing for selfies with the Kremlin in the background.

Image source, Getty Images

Crowds gather near Red Square ahead of Crimea rallypublished at 15:01 Greenwich Mean Time 18 March

15:01 GMT 18 March

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Russian media are sharing photos from central Moscow, where a concert to mark the 10-year anniversary of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea is about to take place.

The event will also mark President Putin's electoral victory.

Crowds are reportedly gathering near Red Square amid a heavy police presence.

Several popular Telegram channels have reported that university students were bussed into Moscow for the event.

This isn't a new development.

The Kremlin cares about the optics of such events, and so busloads of students or factory workers from the provinces are often sent to Moscow in order to ensure that "patriotic rallies" like today's are well-attended.

Image source, Reuters

It's approaching evening in Moscow and it's mid-afternoon in the UK.

Wherever you are in the world, if you're just joining us, here are today's main developments following Vladimir Putin's unsurprising victory in Russia's presidential election:

• The election results saw Putin receive 87.28% of the vote, according to the state election commission.
• However, the vote was highly controlled by the Kremlin and no credible competitors were allowed to run. Putin's most outspoken critics are either dead, in jail or in exile
• In his victory speech, Putin has vowed to prioritise Russia's military offensive in Ukraine
• He also scorned US democracy, alleging that Russian democracy is more legitimate than in the US and falsely claiming that mail-in votes can be bought
• Crowds have been gathering in Moscow's Red Square ahead of an event that is expected to mark Putin's victory in a little while
• The EU's 27 nation states have jointly denounced the election, saying Russia's vote took place amid "systemic internal repression"
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Putin is "drunk with power" and "doing everything to rule forever"
• However, other countries on friendlier terms with Russia, such as China and India, have been more congratulatory with their messages and pledge to work together with Moscow