For as long as Vladimir Putin has been in the public eye, the Russian dictator has been a dangerous enigma. Many of the motivations behind his policy and personal life have remained shrouded in mystery.

Putin’s authoritarian reign over Russia has left him with blood on his hands. After 15 years in KGB (the main security agency for the Soviet Union) and then as the director of its successor, the Federal Security Service (FSB), he was appointed prime minister in 1999 and then president one year later.

He has maintained control over Russia ever since.