Early returns after the polls closed showed he is poised to extend his near 25-year rule until 2030, with some 87% of the vote after about 80% of precincts were counted, according to Russia’s Central Election Commission.
Mr Putin went on to say that protests during the election had “no effect” and any “crimes” would be punished after the vote.
He also said that he was informed of an idea to release his fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, from prison, days before the opposition leader’s death in an Arctic prison last month.
He said that he agreed to the idea, on condition that Mr Navalny did not return to Russia.
“They failed in the past and they will fail in the future.”
He also said the presence of Western troops in Ukraine will “lead the world to the brink of World War Three” but did not think anyone was interested in such a scenario.
The election took place after a relentless crackdown on dissent – and amid attacks within Russia by Ukrainian missiles and drones, which have killed several people.
Mr Putin faced competition from only three token rivals and any public criticism of him or his war in Ukraine was stifled.
Critics are either in jail or in exile. Beyond the fact that voters have virtually no choice, independent monitoring of the election was extremely limited.
Mr Navalny’s associates had urged those unhappy with Mr Putin or the war to protest by coming to the polls at noon on Sunday – and lines outside a number of polling stations both inside Russia and at its embassies around the world appeared to swell at that time.
