In his televised address to the nation posted by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X, Putin said, "Our people, our children, just like the Nazis that once killed our people during the war.
In recent years, the Russian people have united as one, overcome challenges, and made steady progress towards national development and revitalisation, Xi said in his congratulatory message to Putin.
According to Russia's CEC, almost 95 per cent of the votes have been counted as of 1 a.m. Moscow time and Putin is leading the race with an estimated 87.3 per cent.
Biden, who is seeking another term as the president, refrained from naming Trump but referred to him indirectly as his "predecessor" as many as 13 times during his speech on Thursday.
Those comments sent shock waves through Europe, where some leaders are preparing for a time when the US does not play the pivotal role in NATO that it does now.
The same Telegram channel "General SVR" which announced the passing of the 71-year-old leader and reported an ongoing coup in Moscow issued an alert stating the Putin has passed away.