- [Narrator] Vladimir
Putin has been in power
for a really long time.
Over two decades he has
faced many challenges
while building up power at home
and growing his country's influence
on the global stage.
But coronavirus could
be his biggest test yet.
(speaks Russian)
Despite his reassurances
that everything was fine,
Russia has become a
global coronavirus hotspot
and its infrastructure
has come under strain.
Russians worry the pandemic will worsen
their economic problems
and now, as constitutional changes
could potentially allow Putin
to remain in office until 2036,
the President has to deal
with unexpectedly low approval ratings.
- The figures are really
quite bad for Putin.
It's the lowest it's been in 20 years
since he first came to power.
- [Narrator] So, can the Russian president
actually keep all the power
he has accumulated?
Vladimir Putin has served
as either Prime Minister
or President of Russia
since 1999.
The former intelligence officer
has fought to change the image
of a crumbling Russian state.
- So, the framework that Putin came on
was very much to try to rise
and rebuild Russia's
position as the great power.
- [Narrator] Early in his tenure
he faced a number of crises.
A few weeks into his time
as acting Prime Minister
a series of bombings in Moscow
killed hundreds, triggering
the second Chechen War,
which this time Russia won.
The military offensive
boosted Putin's popularity
and helped him secure
the presidency in 2000.
And over the years Putin has nurtured
this image of himself,
a tough statesman who restored
the country's national pride.
Putin's boldness fostered nationalism
and kept him popular in Russia
but strained his relationship
with Western leaders.
He poured resources into the military
and made it a tool for his foreign policy
which caught international attention
in the Russo-Georgian War in 2008.
- 2008 marked a change in the way
that Russian great powerness
were going to be implemented
and increasingly it is implemented
using the military on the ground.
- [Narrator] When Putin's
opponents took to the streets
after he was elected again in 2012,
Russian officials accused the U.S.
of instigating the demonstrations.
(Putin speaks Russian)
- Of course the U.S. denied
but that Putin couldn't believe
that all those people out on the streets
were there of their own volition
so it was much easier for him
to blame the U.S., the West.
- [Narrator] Hundreds were arrested
and protests waned after the government
imposed new rules on
public demonstrations.
The annexation of Crimea
and Putin's support
for the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria
added to international tensions.
Moscow has also been accused
of meddling in the 2016 U.S. election
among other allegations,
including disinformation and hacking.
Russia has repeatedly
rejected these claims.
- Listen to what I say.
First of all, Russia as a state
has never interfered
with the internal affairs
of the United States.
- [Narrator] But the coronavirus pandemic
has introduced a whole new challenge
for the 67-year-old leader.
When coronavirus infections
began to ramp up in Russia,
Putin closed its border with China
and implemented restrictions on travel
from Europe.
But he was criticized for not imposing
a strict nationwide lockdown.
(Putin speaks Russian)
While the president and
state media insisted
that everything was under control,
some officials contradicted
the government's narrative.
In May, the Health Minister of Dagestan
suggested in an interview
that the real number
of coronavirus cases in his province
could have been more
than four times higher
than the official figures.
(speaks Russian)
- [Narrator] Forcing Putin to acknowledge
that the virus was an issue
in some parts of the country.
(speaks Russian)
- [Narrator] Medical personnel have taken
to social media to criticize
the government's handling of the pandemic
and warned that the
healthcare infrastructure
was overwhelmed.
(speaks Russian)
- [Narrator] But Putin and
Russia's national media outlets
have persisted in painting
a more positive picture.
(Putin speaks Russian)
- [Narrator] Even though
the collapse in oil prices
was hitting Russia's economy hard,
Moscow trumpeted efforts
to send medical aid
to Italy and the U.S.
And in late June, ahead of the referendum
that may allow Putin to
run for two more terms
after his tenure ends in 2024,
soldiers marched in the parade
to celebrate the country's victory
over Germany in World War II
despite concerns that
the virus may spread.
- That is one way he
is dealing with trying
to sort of boost the nationalist pride
and say we were solely responsible
for this victory and this is what makes us
the great power.
- [Narrator] As part of the referendum
the Russian president has also offered
a number of measures
to support the economy.
Still, his popularity has
waned in recent months.
In a recent poll, only 25% of Russians
named Putin among the
politicians they trust most,
down from 59% in 2017.
The economy has contracted
and the pandemic has grown
to become an unexpected challenge
for Russia's government.
But analysts believe that Vladimir Putin
is determined to hold onto power.
- He's still solidly in power
but I think there are many more questions
about what happens going forward
and about, you know, his willingness
and ability to introduce economic reforms
to make people's lives better.
