Putin will win his sham election – but there are dangers at home for the Russian president

Another Putin ‘victory’ will lead to more repression for the Russian people as the regime slides further towards a totalitarian state, writes Ben Noble. But there is danger on the horizon for a president whose real support is much lower than the Kremlin claims and who may not be able to resist mass dissent

Sycophantic coverage of Putin on state television portrays him as the great leader to which all Russians should be thankful (AP)

Vladimir Putin is guaranteed victory in the March 2024 presidential election. The Kremlin will point to the official result as proof that Putin is popular – that Russians overwhelmingly support him, the political system he has led for nearly a quarter of a century, and the country’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

The president’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has even said that the “presidential election is not really democracy, it is costly bureaucracy”, as Putin is certain to win, given the consolidation of society around him.

But the reality of support for Putin in Russian society is far more complicated.