▁of ▁human ▁rights ▁ab uses . ▁Official s ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁government ▁have ▁accused ▁him ▁of ▁leading ▁an ▁inter ference ▁program ▁against ▁Hill ary ▁Cl inton ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁Donald ▁Trump ▁during ▁the ▁U . S . ▁president ial ▁election ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁an ▁alleg ation ▁which ▁both ▁Trump ▁and ▁Put in ▁have ▁frequently ▁denied ▁and ▁critic ized . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁▁ ▁Vladimir ▁Vlad im iro v ich ▁Put in ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 7 ▁October ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁in ▁L ening rad , ▁Russian ▁S FS R , ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁( now ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ), ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁three ▁children ▁of ▁Vladimir ▁Sp ir id on ov ich ▁Put in ▁( 1 9 1 1 – 1 9 9 9 ) ▁and ▁Maria ▁Ivan ov na ▁Put ina ▁( née ▁Sh el om ova ; ▁ 1 9 1 1 – 1 9 9 8 ). ▁Vladimir ▁Sp ir id on ov ich ' s ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁cook ▁to ▁Vladimir ▁Len in . ▁Put in ' s ▁birth ▁was ▁preced ed ▁by ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁two ▁brothers , ▁Vik tor ▁and ▁Albert , ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 3 0 s . ▁Albert ▁died ▁in ▁inf ancy ▁and ▁Vik tor ▁died ▁of ▁di ph ther ia ▁during ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁L ening rad ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁Put in ' s ▁mother ▁was ▁a ▁factory ▁worker ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁cons cript ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Navy