New Delhi:
Voting began on Saturday in Russia's presidential election, in which incumbent Vladimir Putin is seeking a fourth term in office.
Voting commenced in the Russian far-east at 20:00 GMT on Saturday, and will open in Moscow nine hours later.
The first results will arrive on Sunday evening. Putin has been Russia's dominant political leader since 2000, either as president or prime minister.
Putin is once again set to be the front-runner for the country's top post for another six-year term and faces seven other candidates.
His rivals include a millionaire communist, Pavel Grudinin, a former reality television host, Ksenia Sobchak and the veteran nationalist, Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
The most famous opposition figure in Russia, Alexei Navalny, has been prohibited from standing, because of a fraud conviction that he said was politically motivated.
