Archival video of Putin from 1999 goes viral online
An archival video from 1999, in which Vladimir Putin reacts painfully to a journalist's direct question about whether the end justifies the means, has gone viral online. The episode recalls an era when Putin still interacted with independent journalists without scripts, against the backdrop of panic following the apartment building bombings.
An archival video from late 1999 has unexpectedly gone viral online, recalling an era when Vladimir Putin could still directly communicate with independent journalists without pre-approved scripts. In the recording, one reporter asks the future president a direct question: "Does the end justify the means?" Putin reacted painfully, froze for several seconds, and the journalist had to repeat the question live. The video was posted on the NEXTA Twitter account on September 19, 2026. The article notes that this episode occurred against the backdrop of panic after a series of bombings in apartment buildings in Moscow, Buynaksk, and Volgodonsk, which killed hundreds of civilians. These events became the official pretext for the start of the Second Chechen War and Putin's rise to the highest state office. The author notes that within a couple of years, independent federal television in its previous form had virtually ceased to exist: in April 2001, control of the NTV television channel passed to Gazprom's structures, after which the editorial policy was completely purged.