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

Gone quiet · last story May 12, 2024

What this arc covers

Vladimir Putin's re-election in March 2024 and the start of his fifth term: the candidates approved to run and the anti-war challenger kept off the ballot, the three days of voting after the harshest crackdown since the Soviet era, Ukraine's attacks during the vote, his inauguration in May, and his replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as the new term began.

Earliest story we hold Jan 9, 2024 · 13 stories · 92 independent sources (counted once each) · 124 days

Part ofVladimir PutinRussiaUkraineSoviet UnionPeople's Republic of China

Part of Putin's Russia

  1. Putin's 2024 re-election and the start of his fifth termThis arcJan 9 – May 12, 2024
  2. Evan Gershkovich's trial in Russia and the 2024 prisoner swap that freed himJan 26, 2024 – Apr 21, 2025
  3. Alexei Navalny's death in a Russian prison and the findings he was poisonedFeb 16, 2024 – Feb 14, 2026
  4. Russia's wartime parliamentary election of September 2026Jul 17 – Sep 25, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

May 12– 132024Putin replaces Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister as he starts his 5th term45 articles · 32 independent sources
6 left, 15 center, 4 right
May 72024Putin inaugurated for record fifth term after nearly a quarter-century in power22 articles · 18 independent sources
4 left, 7 center, 2 right
Mar 182024With the election behind him, Russia’s leader says he aims to create a buffer zone in Ukraine16 articles · 13 independent sources
0 left, 4 center, 2 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Mar 14 – 17, 2024Putin is poised to rule Russia for 6 more years after an election with no other real choices39 articles · 28 independent sources
    1. Mar 14, 2024Russians have 'limited ability' to monitor a presidential election that favors Putin. Some are still trying.
    2. Mar 15, 2024Russia polling stations vandalized as election sure to grant Vladimir Putin a new 6-year term begins
  2. Mar 15 – 16, 2024Russians cast ballots on Day 2 of an election preordained to extend Putin's rule27 articles · 22 independent sources
    1. Mar 15, 2024Russians are voting in an election that holds little suspense after Putin crushed dissent
    2. Mar 16, 2024Russians cast ballots on Day 2 of an election preordained to extend Putin’s rule
  3. Mar 15 – 18, 2024Putin gets 5th term in election that was never in doubt, after harshest crackdown since Soviet era27 articles · 17 independent sources
    1. Mar 15, 2024Only lean-left coverage:Merely winning has never been enough for Putin — and this year's presidential election is no different
    2. Mar 17, 2024Russia election: Putin wins with 88% support, exit poll says – DW
  4. Mar 17 – 18, 2024Putin extends rule in preordained Russian election after harshest crackdown since Soviet era70 articles · 49 independent sources
  5. May 12 – 13, 2024Putin replaces Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister as he starts his 5th term45 articles · 32 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Jan 8Feb 5Feb 26Mar 25Apr 15May 13

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Jan 8, 20241025
Feb 5, 202416113
Feb 19, 20241127
Mar 11, 20241120789
Mar 18, 202410205101
May 6, 2024511228
May 13, 2024412436

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

23% left · 63% center · 14% right of 92 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 13 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. January 2024

    Jan 9A Communist candidate gets approval to run in the Russian presidential election5 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 2 right

  2. February 2024

    Feb 8Russian anti-war election candidate barred from running against Putin17 articles · 15 independent sources
    1 left, 6 center, 1 right
  3. Feb 22Putin takes a flight in nuclear-capable bomber in a tough message to the West ahead of election7 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 2 right

  4. March 2024

    Mar 12– 15Russia votes: Why does Putin bother holding elections? – DW6 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
  5. Mar 14– 17Putin is poised to rule Russia for 6 more years after an election with no other real choices39 articles · 28 independent sources
    5 left, 8 center, 4 right
  6. Mar 14– 15Putin rails against Ukraine as attacks mar Russian presidential election5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
  7. Mar 14The drama in Russia's election is all about what Putin will do with another 6 years in power11 articles · 11 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  8. Mar 15– 18Putin gets 5th term in election that was never in doubt, after harshest crackdown since Soviet era27 articles · 17 independent sources
    4 left, 5 center, 1 right
  9. Mar 15– 16Russians cast ballots on Day 2 of an election preordained to extend Putin's rule27 articles · 22 independent sources
    3 left, 7 center, 3 right
  10. Mar 17– 18Putin extends rule in preordained Russian election after harshest crackdown since Soviet era70 articles · 49 independent sources
    8 left, 12 center, 5 right
  11. Mar 18With the election behind him, Russia’s leader says he aims to create a buffer zone in Ukraine16 articles · 13 independent sources
    0 left, 4 center, 2 right

  12. May 2024

    May 7Putin inaugurated for record fifth term after nearly a quarter-century in power22 articles · 18 independent sources
    4 left, 7 center, 2 right
  13. May 12– 13Putin replaces Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister as he starts his 5th term45 articles · 32 independent sources
    6 left, 15 center, 4 right