Vladimir Putin owes his rise to terror. In August 1999, when he was heading the domestic secret service FSB after a rapid career journey alongside Boris Yeltsin and was finally given the office of Prime Minister, a series of mysterious bomb attacks shook the country. The five serious explosions and one averted attack still give rise to speculation about the involvement of the secret service. Real and also fictitious traces pointed to perpetrators from Chechnya and Dagestan; However, Putin’s FSB also left a huge footprint. The attacks and rampant fear were helpful for the newly appointed prime minister. They offered him the opportunity to initiate the second invasion of Chechnya, to strengthen Moscow’s central authority over the regions and to establish his reputation as an authoritative leading figure.
The terror near Moscow endangers Putin’s enemy image – opinion
