Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will stand again for a fifth term in office.
“Now is the time when one needs to take decisions. I will be running for the post of president of the Russian Federation,” Mr Putin said in remarks shown on Russian TV.
He announced it at an awards ceremony for participants of the full-scale war he launched against Ukraine in 2022.
It comes a day after election officials set 15-17 March 2024 as dates for the presidential election.
Putin served as president in 2000-08, returning to the role from a stint as prime minister in 2012.
Russia’s constitution was amended in 2020, increasing the presidential term from four to six years and giving Mr Putin a clean slate to run again next year by canceling out his previous terms.