"Russia Sanctions Two Opponents to Challenge Putin in Upcoming March Polls"

Russia's national elections commission has registered Leonid Slutsky and Vladislav Davankov as candidates to run against President Vladimir Putin in the upcoming March election. Both candidates are seen as unlikely to pose a significant challenge to Putin, who has been in power since 2000 and is expected to win. The Communist Party's candidate has not yet been registered, and a politician advocating for peace in Ukraine was rejected from the ballot. Putin is running as an independent and has gathered the necessary support for his candidacy.