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Gone quiet · last update May 12, 2024 / Vladimir Putin

Putin's 2024 re-election and the start of his fifth term

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

Vladimir Putin won a fifth term as Russia's president in March 2024 in a stage-managed election in which he faced no serious challengers, amid a strict crackdown on dissent and the war in Ukraine.[1][2][3] He was inaugurated in May, extending a rule that began at the turn of the century into the 2030s, and soon replaced his longtime defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, with a civilian economist.[4][5][6]

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He was inaugurated in May, extending a rule that began at the turn of the century into the 2030s, and soon replaced his longtime defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, with a civilian economist.[4][5][6]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Dec 2023: average weekly share 6% (left 2%, center 3%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2024: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2024: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2024: average weekly share 11% (left 4%, center 5%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksMay 2024: average weekly share 5% (left 1%, center 3%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 6 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (9 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
May 13, 2024514524 of 21611%
May 6, 2024710320 of 2368%
Mar 18, 202420261056 of 24623%
Mar 11, 202418201149 of 24320%
Feb 19, 20242237 of 2323%
Feb 5, 202446111 of 2425%
Jan 8, 20242125 of 2432%
Dec 11, 20232226 of 2253%
Dec 4, 20231422743 of 21720%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. May 11, 2024 · first reported · Headline from Voice of America

    Putin shakes up Russian military and security commands

Background

In December 2023 Russia's upper house set the election for March 17,[7] and Putin, 71, announced that he would run.[5] His ruling party unanimously backed him,[8] while the authorities registered only token challengers, including the Communist Party's Nikolai Kharitonov,[9] and barred the anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin.[10] Putin flew in the co-pilot's seat of a nuclear-capable bomber in an apparent image-building stunt,[11] and voting took place over three days in mid-March.[3]

The election commission declared Putin the winner on March 18,[1] and he said Russia would not relent in Ukraine and would create a buffer zone along the border.[12] At his May 7 inauguration he formally began his fifth term,[4] and days later he moved Shoigu out of the Defense Ministry.[6]

Supporting stories (12)
  1. Putin gets 5th term in election that was never in doubt, after harshest crackdown since Soviet era
  2. Putin is poised to rule Russia for 6 more years after an election with no other real choices
  3. Russians cast ballots on Day 2 of an election preordained to extend Putin's rule
  4. Putin inaugurated for record fifth term after nearly a quarter-century in power
  5. Putin will seek another presidential term in Russia, extending his rule of over two decades
  6. Putin replaces Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister as he starts his 5th term
  7. Russia Sets Presidential Vote for March 17 as Putin Weighs Run
  8. Russia's ruling party backs Putin's reelection bid while a pro-peace candidate clears first hurdle
  9. A Communist candidate gets approval to run in the Russian presidential election
  10. Russian anti-war election candidate barred from running against Putin
  11. Putin takes a flight in nuclear-capable bomber in a tough message to the West ahead of election
  12. With the election behind him, Russia’s leader says he aims to create a buffer zone in Ukraine

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 16 recorded updates

May 2024

  1. Putin replaces Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister as he starts his 5th termHeadline from Washington Times · 32 outlets
  2. Putin inaugurated for record fifth term after nearly a quarter-century in powerHeadline from France 24 · 18 outlets

March 2024

  1. With the election behind him, Russia’s leader says he aims to create a buffer zone in UkraineHeadline from The Hill · 13 outlets
  2. Putin extends rule in preordained Russian election after harshest crackdown since Soviet eraHeadline from Wilmington News Journal · 49 outlets
  3. Russians cast ballots on Day 2 of an election preordained to extend Putin's ruleHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 22 outlets
  4. Putin gets 5th term in election that was never in doubt, after harshest crackdown since Soviet eraHeadline from Omaha World-Herald · 17 outlets
  5. The drama in Russia's election is all about what Putin will do with another 6 years in powerHeadline from The Republic · 11 outlets
  6. Putin rails against Ukraine as attacks mar Russian presidential electionHeadline from Al Jazeera · 5 outlets
  7. Putin is poised to rule Russia for 6 more years after an election with no other real choicesHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 28 outlets
  8. Russia votes: Why does Putin bother holding elections? – DWHeadline from Deutsche Welle · 6 outlets

February 2024

  1. Putin takes a flight in nuclear-capable bomber in a tough message to the West ahead of electionHeadline from Washington Times · 7 outlets
  2. Russian anti-war election candidate barred from running against PutinHeadline from Local News 8 · 15 outlets

January 2024

  1. A Communist candidate gets approval to run in the Russian presidential electionHeadline from PBS NewsHour · 5 outlets

December 2023

  1. Russia's ruling party backs Putin's reelection bid while a pro-peace candidate clears first hurdleHeadline from WHEC Rochester · 6 outlets
  2. Putin will seek another presidential term in Russia, extending his rule of over two decadesHeadline from Daily Journal · 44 outlets
  3. Russia Sets Presidential Vote for March 17 as Putin Weighs RunHeadline from Bloomberg · 12 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →