Chronology and missteps of the “Putin era” towards the reconstitution of a “Great Russia”

The militia rebellion Wagner confronts Vladimir Putin to one of the biggest challenges of his more than two decades in power, during which he silenced the opposition and tried to rebuild a “Great Russia” diminished by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

READ ALSO: The mayor of Moscow describes the rebellion of the Wagner Group as “difficult” and decrees Monday a non-working day

the irruption

In August 1999, Boris Yeltsinfirst president of Russia after the dismemberment of the Soviet Unionname prime minister to an almost unknown man, Vladimir Putin. This former head of the FSB (ex-KGB) quickly gained an image as a strong man in a country traumatized by a series of attacks attributed to Chechen independentists, who dThey left almost 300 dead.

Yeltsinweakened by illness and alcohol, resigns on December 31 and Putin succeeds him in the presidential elections of March 2000.

KNOW MORE: Ukraine celebrates the rebellion of the Wagner Group in Russia as “a sign of the collapse of Putin”

Chechen War

From 2000 to 2009, the conflict against the Chechen rebels and Islamistsmarked by atrocities and bombings of groznycauses tens of thousands of victims.

Several hostage takings claimed by the rebellion end in lethal operations by Russian forces, such as in the theater of Moscow (850 hostages and 130 dead) and in a college of beslanin North Ossetia (more than 1,000 hostages and 330 dead, including 186 children).

READ ALSO: Russian politicians and deputies side with Putin before the rebellion of the head of the Wagner Group

first twist

During his first two terms, putin strengthens its influence in Parliament, places regional governors under the control of Moscowstrengthens the FSB and brings the media and powerful oligarchs to heel. Mikhail Khodorkovskyowner of the oil group yukosHe resists and sets an example: he spends 10 years in jail.

In 2006, the death of the journalist critical of the power Anna Politkovskaya and the polonium-210 poisoning of the Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko raise a wave of global outrage.

KNOW MORE: Russia faces the “most significant challenge” and the “loyalty” of its forces will be key

The Medvedev parenthesis

The Constitution prohibits a third consecutive term and putin designates his subordinate as his successor Dmitry Medvedev, elected on March 2, 2008 without real rivals. Without losing one iota of his influence, Putin becomes prime minister.

READ ALSO: Wagner Group mercenaries arrive in the Lipetsk region, 340 kilometers from Moscow

War in Georgia

In August 2008, the Russian army intervened in Georgia, a former Soviet republic candidate for the NATOafter the government attempted to retake control of a pro-Russian separatist territory. Moscow crushes the Georgian army.

KNOW MORE: Tranquility in Moscow during the first hours of the Wagner Group rebellion

The return

At the end of 2011, a wave of protests broke out after accusations by the opposition of fraud in the legislative elections. tens of thousands of people They show up every week Moscow.

putinre-elected president in March 2012, brutally represses the marches.

READ ALSO: Zelensky describes the rebellion of the Wagner Group as “evidence” of Russia’s weakness

The “Great Russia”

Putin wants to restore the “Great Russia” annexing the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, under the pretext of fighting a revolution in kyivpromoted, according to him, by the Western powers.

This operation sparks a war in eastern Ukraine with pro-Russian separatists.

KNOW MORE: Mercenaries from the Wagner Group rebel from the south against Putin, who promises to avoid a civil war

Syria

As of 2015, the Russian Army supports the Syrian President Bashar al-Assadwhose troops face rebel and jihadist forces.

The intervention saves the regime and Russia gain weight in middle Eastespecially after massively bombing cities like Aleppo.

READ ALSO: Russia cuts the Rostov highway to prevent mercenaries from reaching Moscow

clear opposition

Since 2020, the Kremlin launches a policy of systematic repression. His main victim is Alexei Navalni.

This sworn enemy of Putin, whoafter surviving a poisoning –which he attributes to Kremlin–, is serving a sentence of nine years in prison and could be sentenced to three decades in prison in a trial that is currently taking place.

NGOs, internet pages, media and critical social networks are blocked in Russia.

KNOW MORE: Wagner Group chief vows to remove Russian military command

invasion of Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, putin send his army to Ukrainearguing that he wants to save the Russian minority in the country and “denazify” to this former Soviet republic, which he sees as too close to the NATO.

LOOK HERE: How the Wagner Group, the “brutal” private army of Russian mercenaries, operates

armed rebellion

In a televised speech on June 24, 2023, Putin denounces a “deadly threat” and the risk of acivil war” after the armed rebellion led by the head of the paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhinagainst the military command, which he accuses of having bombed his troops.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.