Vladimir Putin

1999

Appointed Prime Minister, Second Chechen War launched

Putin was appointed PM by Yeltsin in August 1999. Weeks later, after the apartment bombings, he launched the Second Chechen War, which boosted his popularity. Grozny was largely destroyed; tens of thousands of civilians and combatants died. The conflict consolidated his power and set the tone for military crackdowns.

• Wikipedia: Second Chechen War (opens in a new tab)
• Britannica: Vladimir Putin (opens in a new tab)

1999

Apartment bombings (suspected FSB), pretext for war

A series of bombings in Moscow, Volgodonsk and Buynaksk killed over 300. The attacks were used to justify the Second Chechen War and boost Putin's popularity. In Ryazan, FSB agents were caught planting explosives; the FSB later claimed it was a drill. Independent investigations were blocked.

• Wikipedia: 1999 Russian apartment bombings (opens in a new tab)

2000

Elected President, promises of democracy

2003

Khodorkovsky arrested, Yukos dismantled — end of independent oligarchs

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, head of Yukos and funder of opposition parties, was arrested on fraud charges. Yukos was broken up and sold to state-owned companies. The case was widely seen as politically motivated — elimination of the last independent oligarch who dared to challenge Putin.

• Wikipedia: Mikhail Khodorkovsky (opens in a new tab)

2004

Media fully controlled, Beslan used to justify power grab

2008

Constitution changed to extend term, Medvedev as placeholder

2012

Returns as President, massive protests crushed

2014

Annexation of Crimea, war in Donbas

After the Maidan revolution, Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 via a staged referendum. Proxy forces and Russian troops sparked the war in Donbas. Over 14,000 killed by 2022. Sanctions imposed by the EU and US.

• Wikipedia: Annexation of Crimea (opens in a new tab)
• Wikipedia: War in Donbas (opens in a new tab)

2020

Navalny poisoned, crackdown on opposition

In August 2020 Navalny was poisoned with Novichok in Siberia. He was evacuated to Berlin; European labs confirmed the nerve agent. Bellingcat and The Insider traced the assassination attempt to FSB operatives. Upon return to Russia in 2021 he was arrested and given long prison terms.

• Bellingcat: Navalny poisoning (opens in a new tab)
• Wikipedia: Poisoning of Alexei Navalny (opens in a new tab)

2022

Protests against war — thousands arrested

2022

Full-scale invasion of Ukraine

On 24 February 2022 Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has killed over 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians; millions have fled. Putin justified it as 'denazification' and 'demilitarisation'. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova for war crimes (deportation of children).

• Wikipedia: Russo-Ukrainian War (opens in a new tab)
• ICC: Arrest warrants (opens in a new tab)

2024

Navalny death in prison

Alexei Navalny, Russia's main opposition leader, died on 16 February 2024 in the Polar Wolf penal colony (IK-3) in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. He was serving a 19-year sentence on politically motivated charges. The prison service claimed 'sudden death syndrome'; his family and allies accused the Kremlin of murder. He had survived a Novichok poisoning in 2020, which European investigators linked to the FSB.

• Wikipedia: Death of Alexei Navalny (opens in a new tab)
• BBC: Navalny dies in prison (opens in a new tab)
• Reuters: Navalny death (opens in a new tab)