The mystery of Putin and the apartment bombs

In September 1999, just weeks into Vladimir Putin’s first premiership, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings, over a period of twelve days, killing hundreds and plunging the entire nation into fear.

The government blamed Chechen militants, a conclusion corroborated by many journalists at the time. But whispers of a darker conspiracy persist to this day.

A new BBC podcast, The History Bureau: Putin and the Apartment Bombs, tells the story of those bombings and re-examines how these tragic events helped propel Vladimir Putin to power. Asma talks to the host of the series, Helena Merriman.

Producers: Viv Jones

Executive producer: Bridget Harney

Mix: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins

Photo: Moscow apartment buildings in the 1990s. Credit: BBC.