Putin to stand for fifth term as Russian president

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will stand again for a fifth term in office, media reports say.

Russian agencies said he spoke about his intentions during a gathering for participants in the war in Ukraine.

It comes a day after officials set 15-17 March 2024 as dates for the presidential election.

Mr Putin's re-election is seen as inevitable, with opposition almost non-existent and Russian media completely under his control.

He has already been in power in Russia longer than any ruler since Josef Stalin, and a new term would see him remain as president until at least 2030.

The Kremlin's official spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said earlier that an "astonishing" number of people wanted Mr Putin to continue as leader, but that it was entirely up to him when he would make the announcement.