To understand what Vladimir Putin might do in the future, you need to understand his past; where he's come from, what he's lived through, what he's done. Jonny Dymond tells the extraordinary and revealing story of Vladimir Putin's life with the help of guests who have watched, studied and dealt with the Russian president.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0015nfd
12. The Lightning Strike
On the 24th of February 2022, after months of military build-up and increasingly grave warnings, Vladimir Putin stepped over the brink and ordered the invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Jonny Dymond tells the story of the crucial first month of the war, as Putin’s ambitions first faltered and then collapsed in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance. By examining his speeches, public appearances and the political context, this programme chronicles Putin’s first weeks as a war leader. To dispel the fog of war and understand Putin’s role at this dramatic time, Jonny Dymond is joined by: Bridget Kendall - former BBC Moscow and Diplomatic Correspondent, now Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Vitaliy Shevchenko - Russia Editor at BBC Monitoring and co-presenter of Ukrainecast Owen Matthews - Journalist, historian and author of Overreach Production coordinators: Helena Warwick-Cross and Siobhan Reed Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar Producers: Nathan Gower Researcher: Octavia Woodward Series Editor: Simon Watts