Putin: A Russian Spy Story

He thought he was the Russian James Bond, his rivals saw him as Le Chiffre, his blind ambition would see him transcend the ranks of the KGB to become Russia’s puppet master. Matching incredible archive footage against some very candid talking heads, this first instalment of an unmissable three part series gives a never-before seen insight into the spy who would become President Putin.

Fresh from victory at the polls, President Putin arrived in the Kremlin as a virtual unknown whom Russian oligarchs expected to easily control. But this was no clueless ingenue. He’d spent years mastering skills of manipulation and repression in the KGB. This is the story of how he used them to gain a stranglehold on power. And how two of his defectors would wind up dead on British soil.

Two terms in, Putin was constitutionally obliged to step down – but you don’t need a degree in Kremlinology to predict that he’d be back. After spending four years as prime minister, Putin was re-elected as leader. Now, many Russians say they hope he’ll be president forever. Constitutions can be amended, but will a rising wave of opposition stand in his way?