President Vladimir Putin won a record post-Soviet landslide in Russia’s election on Sunday, as thousands of opponents staged a noon protest at polling stations and the United States said the vote was neither free nor fair.

The early result means Putin, 71, will easily secure a new six-year term that would enable him to overtake Josef Stalin and become Russia’s longest-serving leader for more than 200 years.

According to an exit poll conducted by pollster Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), Putin received 87.8% of the vote, the greatest percentage of any candidate in Russia’s post-Soviet history. Putin was ranked 87% by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM). The polls were accurate, according to the initial official results.

The National Security Council spokesperson for the White House stated, “Given how Mr. Putin has imprisoned political opponents and prevented others from running against him, the elections are obviously not free nor fair.”

The election takes place a little more than two years after Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, which set off the deadliest European conflict since World War Two. “Special military operation” is how he characterizes it.