Russian election authorities have released a statement saying Vladimir Putin has been officially registered as a candidate for next year's presidential elections.

Russian election authorities have released a statement saying Vladimir Putin has been officially registered as a candidate for next year's presidential elections.

The statement was released on the organization's website Tuesday. Putin will represent his United Russia party, the dominant political party in Russia. Putin is trying for a third term as President. He served in the position from 2000 to 2008 - winning by a large margin.

Although he faces 9 other possible candidates next year, it is widely believed in Russia that Putin's win is near-certain. However the official list of contenders for the Presidency won't be unveiled until January of next year.