Putin supporters rally in Moscow to celebrate his victory

Some 15,000 supporters gathered in the famous square, waving pro-Putin flags and banners on Monday. They expressed confidence that Putin would lead Russia forward and bring more stability to their country.

The official result showed that Putin received 63.6 percent of the vote while his main rival, the Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov, garnered 17.2 percent.

Meanwhile, thousands of anti-Putin protesters held rallies against the election results in Moscow and the city of Saint Petersburg.

The protesters claimed voter fraud, but Putin assured Russians he “won in honest and fair combat.”

Putin also promised to have the Central Election Commission investigate all allegations of fraud in the voting process.

Police officers arrested more than 500 protesters, including three prominent opposition activists, as tensions appeared to intensify on Monday.

Putin served as president for two consecutive terms from 2000 to 2008. The victory gives him another six-year term in the Kremlin.