Russia prepared Saturday to return strongman Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin for a record third term, facing another rise in tensions with the West.

Russia prepared Saturday to return strongman Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin for a record third term, facing another rise in tensions with the West.

Approximately 65 percent of the 109 million eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots at 94,000 polling stations across the country on March 4.

Fifteen nominated candidates participated in the pre-election race, but only five have reached the final stage and been listed on the ballots.

Opinion polls suggest that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is set for an easy victory in the election.

The 59-year-old ex-KGB spy's victory in Sunday's presidential ballot now seems beyond doubt.

State forecasts show him storming to a first-round victory with 60 percent of the vote and his Communist rival Gennady Zyuganov -- a dour but seasoned lawmaker who is running for the fourth time -- taking second with 15 percent.

Putin for his part looked relaxed as he leaned back against the table and addressed the nation one last time before the vote.

"We must consolidate all facets of society to the greatest degree possible," Putin said in the brief Friday night address.

"We must work smoothly and constructively, without shocks or revolutions," said Putin.

According to the polls, Putin’s nearest challengers will be leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky and billionaire candidate Mikhail Prokhorov.

The other two challengers are leader of the Communist party Gennady Zyuganov and head of the center-left Fair Russia party Sergey Mironov.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is reportedly due to become prime minister under a prospective Putin presidency.

The marathon election stretches over nine time zones and begins with the opening of polls in the Far East at 20:00 GMT Saturday.