TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER A Submarine Sinks 5 CHAPTER 2 Russia Then and Now 9 COUNTRY PROFILE Focus on Russia 14 CHAPTER 3 Early Years and Family Life 17 CHAPTER 4 Coming to Power 21 CHAPTER 5 Putin Rebuilds Russia 27 CHAPTER Б Challenges at Home and Abroad 33 PERSON OF IMPACT Focus on Dmitry Medvedev 38 CHAPTER 7 Putin's Roles in Russia 41 Focus on Vladimir Putin 46 Glossary 47 To Learn More 48 Index 48
CHAPTERI A SUBMARINE SINKS On August 12 2000 newly elected Russian President Vladimir Putin went on vacation Early the next morning he received a call from Russia's minister of defense Russia's newest nuclear submarine the Kursk had sunk It was designed to battle US aircraft carriers However a torpedo in the bow of the ship had misfired Many of the 113 people on board died immediately The explosion that occurred in the Barents Sea was felt as far away as Alaska
