Russian anti-war politician says he has fled the country

However, his criticism of Putin remained measured, leading some to speculate the Kremlin would allow him to run so as to give the election the illusion of being fair.Nadezhdin was eventually prevented from standing by the Russian electoral commission weeks before the vote took place, on the grounds that more than 15% of the signatures he submitted with his candidate application were flawed.He contested this but was ultimately unable to run, as were any other credible opposition figures.On 18 March 2024, Putin claimed a landslide victory which ushered in a fifth term in office.The next Presidential election is scheduled for 2030, when Putin will be 78. A constitutional amendment passed in 2020 reset his term limits, allowing him to remain in power until 2036.Earlier this year, when the Kremlin began restricting internet access for millions across the country and Russia's economic crisis deepened, Nadezhdin told the BBC that people were "beginning to understand that there is a direct connection between their everyday problems, like healthcare, food prices, problems with internet and the politics of Vladimir Putin."The Kremlin now wields near-total control over the Russian political landscape, and it is unlikely that anybody would be allowed to challenge Putin's rule.The opposition figures who could have offered Russian voters an alternative are either in jail, in exile or dead.