Vladimir Putin.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In a shocking turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin will run for re-election.

Putin brought up his re-election campaign in a speech at a car factory Wednesday, NPR reports, casually confirming he'd be running again. Putin has been in power since 2000, and if he wins March's election, he'll serve until 2024.

In the speech, Putin said he was sure his election "will be very successful." And considering his 80 percent approval rate, he's probably right.

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Russia’s main opposition leader was barred from running in the presidential election back in June, leaving just one Russian TV journalist who said she'd run against Putin.

So it's likely we'll see another six years of a Putin presidency. But what else is new?

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.