Moscow ? Dmitry Medvedev has won Russia’s presidential election with over 70 percent of the vote, according to final results released Friday.

Russia’s Central Election Commission said Medvedev won Sunday’s election with 70.28 percent of the vote. Turnout was 69.81 percent.

Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov trailed with 17.72 percent, while ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky had 9.35 percent and little-known candidate Andrei Bogdanov captured 1.3 percent.

Medvedev’s landslide victory was virtually assured by a blessing from Vladimir Putin, the popular incumbent who said he would retain clout by becoming Medvedev’s prime minister.

Medvedev has repeatedly pledged to pursue Putin’s policies.

He thanked voters Friday, saying the broad public support meant a “credit of trust to solve the main socio-economic problems which the country faces.”