NEW in The History Bureau - Putin and the Apartment Bombs In September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The attacks plunged the country into panic. Families fled their homes. Residents patrolled their blocks around the clock. An entire nation paralyzed by fear. But who did it? It's a mystery that has fuelled some chilling theories. The government blamed Chechen militants. Many reporters agreed. But then the whispers started. Was something even more sinister going on? Over 25 years later, journalists who covered the bombings still can't agree on who planted the explosives or why. Presenter Helena Merriman returns to the story with the reporters who were there on the ground. What did they get right first time around? And, in the chaos and confusion of unfolding events, what did they miss? The History Bureau revisits the defining stories of our times with the reporters who first covered them.

Latest episodes

Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 7. Hindsight

January 16, 2026 · 33 min

Who bombed the four apartment buildings? The reporters who covered this story look back with over 25 years of distance to answer a one question: who do they think bombed those four apartment buildings back in September 1999? Was it the…
Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 6. The Trial

January 15, 2026 · 29 min

A trial of two suspected bombers seems to offer closure – but is this really case closed? As Mikhael Trepashkin prepares to present evidence that might shed light on what really happened in 1999, he's thrown into prison. And as the…
Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 5. The Investigator

January 14, 2026 · 28 min

A former KGB investigator steps forward, risking everything to get to the truth. As Putin’s power grows, American journalist Scott Anderson returns to the story of the 1999 apartment bombings. Only one man will speak to him: Mikhail…
Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 4. The Poisoning

January 13, 2026 · 33 min

Two men challenging the FSB’s story flee to London seeking safety, only to end up dead. Years after the apartment bombings shook Russia a press conference is held in London, led by exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky. Once a kingmaker who…
Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 3. The TV Show

January 12, 2026 · 31 min

What if the truth behind the bombs could be revealed - on a television show? Following the events at Ryazan, journalists at Russia’s major television channel NTV prepare for a primetime broadcast: a confrontation between the residents of…
Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 2. Sugar

January 12, 2026 · 36 min

Three sacks of white powder discovered in a basement – and a ticking timer set for dawn. As fear grips the country and families sleep on the streets, a strange discovery in the city of Ryazan sparks a chain of events that challenges…
Putin and the Apartment Bombs: 1. The Four Bombs

January 12, 2026 · 28 min

Four bombs. Twelve days. Hundreds dead. What really happened in Russia in September 1999? Helena speaks to BBC foreign correspondent Andrew Harding to revisit a story that has haunted him for decades. Following the collapse of the Soviet…
Putin and the Apartment Bombs: Trailer

January 7, 2026 · 3 min

In September 1999, just weeks after a 46-year-old Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister, four bombs blew up four apartment buildings across Russia, killing hundreds of people while they slept. The attacks plunged the country into panic…