Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to run for a new mandate as head of state in March next year and will thus remain in power until at least 2030, six unnamed sources told Reuters, according to Agerpres.

Putin, who turned 71 on October 7, took over the Russian presidency from Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999 and is already the longest-serving Russian leader in Moscow since Stalin, beating Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev’s 18-year record.

The Reuters sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of political sensitivity in the Kremlin, said Putin’s decision had reached his subordinates and his advisers were now preparing the election campaign.

“Decision made”

According to polls, 80% of Russians approve of the president, and if he runs for office, the election will be a formality; he will definitely win, having the support of the entire state apparatus, the state press, and practically having no serious opposition.

“The decision has been made – he will run,” said one of the sources cited by Reuters. Another, corroborating a report published last month by the Kommersant newspaper, claims that carefully targeted instructions will be given in a few weeks. A third source, in agreement with the others, claims that the president’s advisers are already preparing for his participation in the elections. Three more sources say the same: Putin will run for office.

“The world we’re looking at is very dangerous,” one source said.

Still speaking on condition of anonymity, the foreign diplomatic source said Putin had recently made a decision and an announcement would be imminent.

According to Reuters, many foreign diplomats, secret agents and officials expect Putin to remain in power for life. However, it has not yet been confirmed that he will run for office next year.

The Kremlin denies that Putin made any decisions regarding the presidential election

Kremlin spokesman Dmytro Peskov said Monday that Putin had not made any announcements that he would run for a new term.

“The president did not make any statements. And the campaign has not yet been officially announced,” Peskov told Reuters.

In September, Peskov said that if Putin decides to run for office, no one will be able to oppose him.

The Russian presidency called the report that the president is sick Western disinformation.