Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during a massive rally in his support as a presidential candidate at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 3, 2018. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
March 03, 2018 - 5:13 AM
MOSCOW - Tens of thousands of Russian President Vladimir Putin's supporters have gathered for a campaign rally at Moscow's sprawling main sports complex.
The crowd at the rally held two weeks before Russia's presidential election filled the Luzhniki stadium, which has the capacity for more than 81,000 people. Police estimated the overall turnout at the complex, which includes other sports facilities, to be 130,000.
The event on Saturday featured entertainers and an appearance by Putin.
He told the cheering crowd: "We want to make our country bright, forward-looking into the future, because our ancestors lived here, we live here, our children live here and our children and our grandchildren will live here."
Putin is seeking a fourth term and faces no significant opposition in the March 18 election.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018