Boris Nadezhdin: Putin's rival submits his candidacy for the Russian presidency

Kremlin rival Boris Nadezhdin said he has collected enough signatures to run in Russia's upcoming presidential election.

The former local council member has become known for his relatively outspoken criticism of Putin and the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Nadezhdin said he had delivered more than 100,000 requested signatures to electoral authorities.

The Electoral Commission must now review his application.

Current President Vladimir Putin has already registered as an independent candidate for elections scheduled for March, which will almost certainly see him win another six-year term.

Nadezhdin, 60, has been a member of the local council for more than 30 years. In a country where opposition figures have been imprisoned or even assassinated, his recent criticism of Putin appears to have been tolerated so far.

Shortly after the deadline for submitting signatures today, Nadezhdin posted a photo of himself standing in front of several boxes containing papers bearing the signatures of his supporters.

He previously wrote on Twitter: “This is my pride – thousands of people worked over long, sleepless days. The results of the queues in which you stood in the bitter cold are in those boxes.”

Thousands of Russians lined up in the cold across the country to add their signature to the list of people supporting Nadezhdin's bid.

Vladimir Putin has dominated Russia's political scene since 2000. In 2020, a constitutional amendment was passed allowing him to remain in power after 2024.

A win in March would see him remain president until 2030. After that, he would likely serve another six years until 2036 if he decided to run again.