Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president

| Updated: Mar 19, 2018, 06:33 AM IST

Vladimir Putin will lead Russia for another six years, after securing an expected victory in presidential election.

Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president

Born in St Petersburg in 1952, Vladimir Putin began his career with the KGB, the Soviet-era security police. From 1990 he worked in the St Petersburg administration before moving to Moscow in 1996. By August 1999 he was prime minister.

(Photograph:Reuters)

Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president

As Boris Yeltsin's prime minister, he oversaw the launch of a second war to crush rebels in Chechnya. When Yeltsin resigned on New Year's Eve, Putin took over as president, being officially elected in March 2000.

(Photograph:AFP)

Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president

In 2004, Putin was re-elected as president and in 2008, at the end of his second term Putin gave power to his protege Dmitry Medvedev and became prime minister.

(Photograph:Reuters)

Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president

2012: He returned as president, for a term which has been extended from four to six years, amid unprecedented opposition protests.

2013: After three decades of marriage, he divorced Lyudmila with whom he has two daughters.

(Photograph:Reuters)

;

Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president

2014: He annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, sparking the worst diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

2015: Gave military backing to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

2017: In December, he announced he will seek a new six-year term as president in March 2018.

(Photograph:Others)

Vladimir Putin

File photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin.