Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanovic secures landslide victory in presidential runoff

Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanovic convincingly won the presidential runoff held on Sunday, beating his rival Dragan Primorac with a commanding lead, according to the Croatian State Election Commission (SEC).

With 99.7 percent of the votes processed, Milanovic garnered 74.68 percent, leaving Primorac far behind with only 25 percent, the SEC reported.

After official results confirmed a landslide victory on Sunday night, Milanovic hit the stage in his election headquarters to address his supporters.

He thanked voters for giving him nearly 75 percent of the votes, saying that the victory reflected recognition of his leadership over the past five years and served as a warning to the government led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) to listen to the people's voices better.

"The government holds the highest responsibility for this country. And I am urging them to hear that. That's the message Croatian citizens are sending them this evening. I don't consider this as support for me. Let's not kid ourselves, nobody gets 75 percent support. It is just at this moment, and just today," said Milanovic.

Milanovic also called for cooperation between him, who supported by the Social Democratic Party - the largest opposition party, and the Croatian government.

The first round of the Croatian presidential election was held on December 29, 2024, but none of the eight candidates received a majority of the vote. The two leading candidates -- Milanovic with 49.09 percent of the vote and Primorac with 19.35 percent -- advanced to the second round.

Milanovic's victory wasn't a surprise, not even for his opponent Primorac. Ahead of the Sunday runoff, the latest polls had forecasted Milanovic's victory, with 62.5 percent of respondents expressing support for Milanovic compared to 27.8 percent for Primorac, supported by the HDZ.

Earlier on Sunday, after casting his own ballot, Primorac addressed journalists, giving excuses about the likely loss to come.

"In this short time, I tried to present myself to the voters in the best possible way. In these very strange elections, I would say at the very least, there were never so many untruths told; it wasn't easy to get by," he said.

There are more than 3.7 million legitimate voters in Croatia, and the turnout rate in the runoff is about 44.15 percent, the SEC said.

A Croatian president serves a five-year term and can seek re-election once.

Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanovic secures landslide victory in presidential runoff

Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanovic secures landslide victory in presidential runoff

Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanovic secures landslide victory in presidential runoff

Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanovic secures landslide victory in presidential runoff

Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanovic secures landslide victory in presidential runoff

Russia said on Sunday that its troops attacked Ukraine's energy and transportation infrastructure over the past 24 hours, while Ukraine said its military forces repelled Russian offensives from multiple directions.

Russian forces continued operations in Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk and other directions over the past day, striking 149 targets including Ukrainian enterprises assembling long-range drones, energy and transportation infrastructure and temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries, Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

Russian air defense systems destroyed six guided aerial bombs, nine US-made HIMARS rockets and 220 fixed-wing UAVs over the past day, said the ministry.

Earlier on Saturday, the ministry said Russian forces had taken control of a major Ukrainian defensive hub and a settlement in the Zaporizhzhia direction, creating conditions for advancing deeper into the area.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Sunday that 133 combats occurred along the front lines over the past day, with Ukrainian forces repelling Russian assaults in multiple directions.

Ukrainian air force, missile troops, and artillery struck five areas where Russian personnel and equipment were concentrated, two drone control points and one command post.

Ukrainian forces shot down 845 Russian tactical-level unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day.

Russia attacks Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Ukraine downs Russian tactical drones