# Putin appointed and the apartment bombings (1999)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1999-putin-appointed-and-the-apartment-bombings
Categories: main-event

Vladimir Putin, FSB director, was appointed prime minister on 9 August 1999, days after Chechen militants invaded Dagestan. In September explosions destroyed apartment buildings in Moscow, Buynaksk and Volgodonsk, killing about 300. The government blamed Chechen militants; critics raised questions about FSB involvement after a device was found in Ryazan. Putin's popularity surged. The bombings led directly to the Second Chechen War.

## Why it matters
The bombings led directly to the Second Chechen War.

Ruler at the time: [Boris Yeltsin](https://history-russia.com/rulers/boris-yeltsin)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — 1999 Russian apartment bombings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Russian_apartment_bombings)
- [Wikipedia — 1999 war in Dagestan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_war_in_Dagestan)
- [Wikipedia — History of the Russian Federation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Russian_Federation)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Putin appointed and the apartment bombings](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Putin+appointed+and+the+apartment+bombings)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)