When appointed , Putin was a relatively unknown politician , but he quickly established himself both in public opinion and in Yeltsin 's estimation as a trusted head of government , largely due to the Second Chechen War . Just days after Yeltsin named Putin as a candidate for prime minister , Chechen forces engaged the Russian army in Dagestan , a Russian autonomy near Chechnya . In the next month , several hundred people died in apartment building bombings in Moscow and other cities , bombings Russian authorities attributed to Chechen rebels . In response , the Russian army entered Chechnya in late September 1999 , starting the Second Chechen War . The Russian public at the time , angry over the terrorist bombings , widely supported the war . The support translated into growing popularity for Putin , who had taken decisive action in Chechnya
apartment building bombings
Russian apartment bombings
History of Russia (1991–present)