I thought people had a negative view of Putin, before recent times. I mean, quarter century as president sounds a bit autocratic. I:

During the Second Chechen War, which Putin reignited after coming to power in 1999, Russian forces under his leadership conducted a brutal campaign that killed at least 25,000 civilians and reduced Grozny to rubble. Critics allege that Putin approved or orchestrated apartment bombings in Russia in 1999 to justify the war and consolidate power. Additionally, a series of Russian opposition figures, journalists, and lawyers—including Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander Litvinenko, and Boris Nemtsov—have been killed under suspicious circumstances during his rule.