The Global Story - The mystery of Putin and the apartment bombs
Download 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.
Published on Tuesday, 27th January 2026.
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