How did Russia's Vladimir Putin become one of the world's most powerful leaders? Watch in Putin: The New Tsar

Watch Vladimir Putin: The New Tsar on BBC Selecta

Admired by former President Donald Trump and feared by his rivals, Putin: The New Tsar is an enthralling BBC political documentary on BBC Select that reveals the story of Vladimir Putin’s extraordinary rise to power.

From a lowly KGB colonel to Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s right-hand man and ultimately his successor, those from his inner circle, both close friends and bitter enemies, describe his often harsh methods.

Watch Putin: The New Tsar and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

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