The war over Ukraine rages on and is escalating.
PBS and FRONTLINE explore what brought Putin—and the world—to this point.
For years, FRONTLINE has been reporting on Putin’s path to power and how he has wielded it, as well as on Russia and Ukraine’s tension-based relationship.
As Putin wages war, explore what their coverage reveals about his rise and motivations, his history and grievances with the West, and events that led to this critical moment—
Examining Putin: As Russia’s President Wages War
on Ukraine, Revisit FRONTLINE’S In-Depth Reporting.
Videos shared include:
Putin’s Way (2015)
In this documentary, created in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, FRONTLINE traced Putin’s journey from unemployed spy to modern-day czar. They investigate accusations of criminality and corruption that surrounded his ascent. Importantly, it explains how Putin accumulated wealth and power, leading to autocratic rule and the specter of a new Cold War.
Putin’s Revenge (2 parts, 2017)
In this two-part documentary, FRONTLINE detailed how Putin saw the fall of the USSR as a catastrophe; how he rose to the Russian presidency, centralized power and cracked down on domestic dissent; how he came to see the West—the U.S., in particular—as an enemy; and his drive to return Russia to what he saw as its former glory.
As Putin seethed over what he saw as Western encroachment, the film shows how Ukraine became his proving ground for a style of hybrid warfare combining military force, diplomacy, cyberattacks and weaponized leaks, political manipulation and disinformation. Putin eventually would use elements of the strategy to strike back at the U.S. for a lifetime of grievances, seizing an opportunity in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The Pandora Papers (2021)
Learn about Putin’s “wallets” and why they’re important to his agressive plans.
Led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and involving 150 media organizations, including FRONTLINE, this reporting initiative drew on a cache of nearly 12 million confidential documents to reveal the global entanglement of political power and secretive offshore finance, including the role of U.S. trusts.
Learn more. Visit FRONTLINE‘s Examining Putin for aditional videos and detailed background.
